Everybody Finds Out
by RoseRae2013
Summary: Haley James has had students hit on her before but none quite as enticing as Nathan Scott.
1. Chapter 1

**So here's the first chapter of the new one! As you can see, it's rated M, and that'll probably kick in next chapter. I feel a bit more free with what I write when it starts out as M, so that's good! I'm very excited about this story. It's an idea I've had in my head for forever now, and I've actually had this chapter written for a couple of months. However, I changed it almost completely when I was proofing it these last few days. It's definitely better than it was, and I hope that you all enjoy it. The title is a song by Fleetwood Mac that I absolutely love! I'd definitely check it out if I were you. For those of you who have read my other two stories, I just remembered that I failed to put the artists for the titles so here they are, if you're interested: Bruised But Not Broken by Joss Stone & Swoon by Imogen Heap. **

**Please let me know what you think of this first chapter! It's always the most important! Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters.

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><p>Haley James focused her eyes on the reflection in the mirror before her as she applied her lip gloss. The rest of her makeup was done, and she was just putting on the finishing touches. She smacked her lips loudly when she was done and capped the gloss, tossing it carelessly into her makeup bag. She let her eyes roam over her form as she smoothed out her outfit. It was the first day of the new semester, and it was always a big deal to Haley. Meeting new students and getting to share her knowledge of literature with them was always exciting for her, and she loved her job more than anything. Teaching provided her with a special feeling of worth that nothing else did, and she doubted anything else ever would.<p>

She smoothed out the black pencil skirt she was wearing and tugged at the hem of her red blouse. She found herself wondering if the outfit was appropriate for class, and as she did every morning she decided that it was okay. The top did showcase a little more cleavage than some of the other teachers preferred to display, but in her defense most of them were as old as the school itself. Haley was the youngest teacher there, and she was proud of where she was and how she had gotten there. It had all been worth it.

When the critique of her outfit was complete, Haley smiled at her reflection briefly before exiting the bathroom straight into her bedroom to put on her shoes. They were tall, black heels today, but she figured they were classy enough. And they definitely completed the outfit. After fixing her short, dark brown hair she checked the time and decided to grab a quick breakfast.

Even though she had been there just last week drawing up lesson plans, when Haley walked into her classroom she couldn't help but smile. Somehow it felt like she hadn't been in the room in forever, and she was happy to be back. One thing she loved about teaching at Tree Hill College was the fact that it was so small. The atmosphere and the small classes felt more like high school than college. At the same time, though, she got to teach mature people who had a real willingness to learn. There were the select few who were just there because the class was a requirement for their major and acted as if they cared about nothing, but Haley could get past them. She was the teacher, but it was their job to learn.

It wasn't long before her first class, which started at eight, came around. She had found time, however, to review her lesson plans for the day one more time. Haley James was always prepared, and it was one of the attributes she prided herself on. She hated being late, she hated being lazy, and more than anything she hated being wrong.

Once all of the new students had found their seats, Haley stood up and walked around her desk. She hopped up on the edge of it and gave them a smile. "My name is Haley James. You can call me Miss James. Anything else is unacceptable." She paused. "This is a writing class, and you will have to write…often. So if you're only in here to get the credit and get out, we have a problem. That is what I like to call a waste of my time. So you may stay in this class, if and only if, your sole intention is to learn and absorb as much information as you possibly can. I take my job seriously, and I expect you to do the same."

A hand rose in the back of the classroom, and Haley raised an eyebrow before calling on him. "What is it?" she asked.

The man smirked at the phrasing of her question as well as what he was about to say. "Are you single, Miss James?"

Half of the people in the classroom started snickering, and Haley laughed sardonically as she crossed one leg over the other. "People, this is not junior high. If this is what you're here for, then I'd suggest you leave right now." She focused her attention on the man in the back of the room again. "What's your name?" She watched him smirk again and felt her face heat up.

"Nathan Scott," he responded cockily.

"Okay, Nathan Scott," Haley started. "Why is it that you are taking my class?"

He shrugged and let his eyes blatantly check her out. "I heard the teacher was hot."

Again the other students started whispering. Haley sighed and stood up, gesturing to an empty seat in the front. "Mr. Scott, would you please move to the front of the class?"

"With pleasure," he answered, winking at her. He gathered his things and made his way to the front.

"Okay, now that the parade's over, we can get started. You should all have your textbooks. If you don't you're behind already. For those of you who are prepared, please open your books to page twenty-one." Haley turned to look at Nathan but found that his eyes were already on her. She quickly looked away and made her way around her desk again, sitting down in her chair.

Nathan watched her as she turned around, and as she walked in the opposite direction his eyes lingered on her ass. He had only been being honest earlier. He had heard from multiple people that the teacher for this particular course was hot as hell, and he knew he just had to see for himself. Who knew everybody was right?

For the duration of the class, Nathan simply couldn't focus. He really did try. He opened his textbook and tried to listen to the words Miss James was saying, but he couldn't stop ogling her. Instead of hearing the words coming out of her mouth, he only saw her lips move. They were glossy, and every once in a while when she paused she would let her tongue out to lick them, and Nathan almost groaned at the sight. Usually he had no problem controlling himself, but after the third time his eyes involuntarily closed, and the image of his teacher licking something entirely different entered his mind. His eyes snapped open a moment later when he realized just how wrong those images were, but the thoughts continued to run rampant through his mind. He tapped his pencil against his leg relentlessly in an attempt to cool himself down and force himself to focus. It didn't work.

As soon as Miss James announced that class was done for the day, he shut his book and hopped up out of his seat. But instead of exiting the room like he intended for his body to do, he jumped up to sit on top of the desk and kept his eyes on the teacher as the other students filed out of the room.

"Do you need something, Mr. Scott?" Haley asked with a sigh as she came from around her desk.

Nathan smirked and stood up, letting his things collapse onto the desk again. He took a few steps towards her and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Actually, yeah I've got some stuff you could probably help me out with."

Despite her best efforts, Haley blushed. She quickly turned her face to try and hide it, but when she saw an arrogant grin pass across his face she knew he hadn't missed it. "Mr. Scott, I'm a busy woman. So if this isn't about class or something else important, I really don't have the time."

"Haley, I-"

"Miss James," she corrected him with a raised eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest.

He held both his hands up in defense before locking his wrists behind his back. "Sorry…Miss James." It was actually kind of hot, in his opinion. How sexy would it be to have a fling with his teacher?

Haley tried not to look at him but found this to be a difficult task. So she turned to her side and started shuffling a few things around on her desk.

"So I was wondering if you could tutor me," Nathan blurted out. "I, um…a lot of people told me that you do that and that you're really good. I could use it." He let out a small chuckle.

Haley turned to face him again. "I do tutor students," she confirmed. "But you've just entered my class, Mr. Scott. And until I have a reason to believe you need my help outside of the classroom, you're going to have to try and make it on your own."

She was tough. And although it seemed like a bit of a barrier now, Nathan found it incredibly sexy. "Oh," he replied, his voice cracking slightly. "Well, I…I mean…"

"Mr. Scott, I'm sorry that I can't help you. But I do have a lot of work to do, so you'd best be on your way." She gave him a small smile and uncrossed her arms.

Nathan looked down at the ground and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Well I just…I was also wondering-"

Haley interrupted him again. "Mr. Scott."

His head snapped up, and he dropped both his hands by his sides.

"Class is over," she stated politely, giving him a small smile. Without another word, she made her way behind her desk and began preparing things for her next class.

Nathan nodded silently. He hesitated briefly before picking up his books and heading for the door, silently cursing himself on the way. That had gone smoothly.

* * *

><p>"Vodka," Haley requested as soon as she'd made it up to the bar. "Straight up. On the rocks."<p>

"Damn," the blonde next to Haley mumbled. "What's gotten into you, girlie?"

Haley smirked and turned to face her friend. "No one yet, but I see that changing very, very soon."

The brunette on the other side of Haley gasped. "Is Haley James being a slut? I can't believe it!" she squealed. "You've finally joined me and Peyton!"

Peyton's mouth dropped open. "I am _not _a slut. Speak for yourself, Brooke Davis."

When the bartender placed her drink down in front of her, Haley thanked him and then picked up the glass, downing nearly the entire thing in one gulp.

Brooke smirked as she watched her friend. "Stressful day, Tutor Girl?" she inquired playfully.

"Aren't they all?" Haley muttered in reply before requesting another drink.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Peyton asked.

Haley shook her head. "It's nothing. I just feel like having some fun tonight." She smiled.

Brooke checked out her friend's appearance and then smiled proudly. "Well you're certainly dressed for the job, babe."

Haley was wearing a strapless red dress that reached just a few inches above her knees and black heels. Her hair was down, and she was wearing more makeup than she had worn to class earlier. She loved dressing up and coming out with her friends every few nights. The club they were at tonight was new, and Peyton had been the one to discover it, but Haley wasn't complaining. The place was very stylish, and the bartender was certainly efficient. Haley's job was a lot of work, and for most of the day she was a very serious person. She did her job, she answered questions, and she went home. But she had a social life, too, and this was it. She managed to balance it all very well.

After she'd finished her second drink, Haley's friends dragged her out onto the dance floor as one of their favorite fast songs began to play. They all danced together, most definitely drawing the attention of the club's male visitors, and they had fun. A few guys asked them to dance, but they all declined. While Brooke and Peyton both had steady partners, Haley simply wasn't interested. She had a little bit to go before she would be drunk enough to go home with a stranger.

After a while, the girls got hot, and they went back to the bar to cool off. The boys showed up pretty soon after that, and Haley watched as Peyton departed with Jake and Brooke with Chase. It was a routine for them, and Haley had made sure to let her friends know that it didn't bother her. And it really didn't. She wanted them to have fun with their boyfriends. She would eventually find someone to have fun with, too.

As she turned back towards the bar, Haley noticed the bartender standing directly in front of her. She gave him a smile.

"I'm Owen," he offered with a small smile.

"Haley," she returned politely, reaching across the bar to shake his hand.

Owen returned the handshake and smiled again. "Can I get you anything else?"

She contemplated for a few moments before answering. "Screaming orgasm," she finally requested. She watched his face. God, why did people always seem surprised when she ordered that? It was just a drink, for God's sake. Before she could ponder it any longer, she felt a presence next to her.

Not a second later, she heard his husky voice. "Coming right up, ma'am."

Haley turned in her barstool and smiled widely. "Thank God," she muttered under her breath. "I thought I was actually going to have to find a random to hook up with tonight." She stood up to hug him.

The man laughed, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He kissed the top of her head and then allowed her to sit back down, letting himself do the same next to her. "I guess it's your lucky night, baby," he replied cockily.

Haley rolled her eyes. He was so arrogant, but she secretly loved it. She admired him for his confidence and his talent. "I thought you weren't supposed to get in until Sunday," she commented, still facing him in the stool.

He shrugged. "I pulled some strings."

She raised an eyebrow and turned as Owen set her drink down in front of her. She picked the tall shot glass up and downed it quickly.

"Alright, alright," the man relented. "Our last show got cancelled. Besides, I couldn't wait to get back and see my girl. I've missed you, Haley."

Haley smiled. "I've missed you, too, Chris."

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><p>Nathan watched her all class again the next day. For the second day in a row, he found himself having no clue what she was talking about, but this time he really didn't care. It's not like he was a genius when it came to school anyways. He was only taking classes at THC because his brother insisted that it was the best thing for business. He'd never finished his degree, and he honestly hadn't thought he ever would. But Nathan knew that his brother was right; it was the best thing for business. And the business was pretty much all he had left now. He had to take care of it…not for him but for her. It was her business that they had taken over, and he wanted to make her proud in that world.<p>

There was no class the next day, but the one after that Nathan got there early. He silently took his seat in the front of the classroom and glanced up at the teacher. She was sitting in her chair behind her desk, typing away at her laptop.

After a few moments, when Haley could feel someone's eyes burning into her, she stopped typing and looked up. "You're early, Mr. Scott. Class doesn't start for another thirty minutes."

"I know," Nathan replied with a smile.

She eyed him for a few more seconds before shaking her head. It wasn't her problem. She could get her work done, either way. If he wanted to waste an extra thirty minutes of his day, then that was on him. She looked at her computer screen again and continued typing the e-mail she was getting ready to send out.

Once class started, Nathan was zoning. He wasn't daydreaming or sleeping or anything of the sort…no, he was straight up zoning out on her legs. Her dark violet dress was a little bit short today. It was certainly appropriate and left plenty to the imagination of most people, but not Nathan. And when she sat on the edge of her desk and crossed one leg over the other, which he already realized she did a lot, it rode up. When it first happened, he gulped and glanced around the room guiltily. Everyone else was taking notes, but he hardly noticed. His eyes almost immediately snapped back to the front of the classroom, and his mouth went dry.

Half of her creamy, tan thigh was exposed, and Nathan was going wild. He watched, enraptured, as her leg moved off of its twin. Not a second later, the other one had taken the top spot, and he licked his lips. The new position had allotted him about another inch of her thigh.

And before he knew it, everyone was rising to leave. What the hell? He literally felt like he had been in class for five minutes. As everyone was beginning to leave, Miss James called out, "Don't forget your first writing assignments are due tomorrow!"

What? Writing assignment?

Nathan stood up and gathered his books into his arms, walking up to her desk. She was still sitting on it, and he had to force himself not to stare at her thighs as he stopped directly in front of her. "Miss James, I was wondering if you could explain that writing assignment to me again," he tried. "I didn't really understand the topic."

"You didn't understand, or you weren't paying attention?" Haley challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Nathan furrowed his brow. "I didn't-"

"Mr. Scott," Haley started, leaning forward slightly to make sure she got his attention. "I'm not here to play games, okay? You haven't listened to me for a single moment of this course so far, and that's not my problem. If you want the grade, you're going to have to earn it."

Both of Nathan's eyebrows raised, and he scratched the end of his nose.

"Don't look so surprised," Haley added. "Look, I require that my students pay close attention to me during class, and in return I do the same. I don't know what's distracting you, but you need to get it together, Mr. Scott." She paused. "If you want to know the details of the assignment, get it from one of your classmates. There were plenty who were listening to me today."

Nathan wanted to say something. He really did, but nothing came out. Instead he simply swallowed and nodded. Then he quickly turned and left the room.

He caught up with one of the guys he recognized from class in the quad. "Hey, man. Wait up," he called. When the guy stopped and turned around, Nathan extended his hand. "Nathan Scott."

The guy smiled and shook his hand. "Yeah, I know. I'm Mike Banes. Nice to meet you, man."

"You, too," Nathan muttered distractedly. "Look, I um…I kind of zoned out in class today. Do you think you could tell me what that writing assignment was all about?"

Mike chuckled. "Yeah, I noticed. You might want to wipe the drool off of your face next time."

Nathan furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

Mike shrugged. "You zoned out on Miss James, right? Hey, man…I don't blame you. I'm pretty sure every guy with a straight dick that lands in that class has the same problem."

"I can't say I'm surprised," Nathan muttered.

"She's pretty fine," Mike agreed with a nod. "Look, as far as the assignment goes…I wasn't really listening either. I'll probably catch up with one of the girls later and get it. But hey, I can let you know when I do."

Nathan nodded. "That works." The two exchanged numbers, and Nathan smiled. "Thanks, man."

"No problem," Mike replied.

Nathan sighed before looking back up at him. "Was I really that obvious?" he asked with a light chuckle.

Mike laughed. "Uh, yeah, man…you were. But don't worry about it. Like I said, it happens to the best of us." He smirked. "One of my friends had her last semester, and he said they used to hook up all the time before class."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. For some reason, he didn't really believe that, but he was still curious. "Did they really?"

"I don't know," Mike answered with a shrug. "But he still goes on and on about it. He says she's into some really freaky shit…like, the good kind."

Nathan nodded slowly, still not really sure whether he was going to believe the rumor mill on this one. Miss James seemed like a tight ass in class. "Alright, well thanks again, man. Let me know." He gave the guy a short nod before turning around. He had to get to work.

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><p>"Oh, my God, you guys…it's so weird," Haley continued as she took her seat at the dining room table. The gang was at her apartment, and she had cooked them all dinner, as she did every Sunday night. "Class has been going on for almost three weeks, and he literally comes in every single day at least a half hour early…sometimes an hour."<p>

Everyone began grabbing dishes and portioning out their food as Peyton spoke up. "What does he do?"

"That's the weird part," Haley replied. "He just sits there. I don't know what the hell he's doing. He doesn't work on anything. He just, like…stares at me."

Brooke made a face. "That's fucking creepy, Tutor Girl."

Haley's eyes widened in exaggeration. "I know!"

"What's this punk's name anyways, babe?" Chris asked as he shoveled some mashed potatoes onto his plate.

Haley looked up from her plate. "Technically, I shouldn't really say."

"Haley, the guy's being a freak," Jake spoke up. "What's his name?"

She took a sip of her water before replying. "Nathan Scott."

Chase almost choked on his food, as did Jake. They shared a brief look. "Nathan?" Chase double-checked. "Nathan Scott?"

"Nathan Scott is in your literature class at THC?" Jake inquired dumbly.

Haley narrowed her eyes. "Yeah," she said slowly. "Why? Do you guys know him?"

"Oh, my God," Brooke muttered. "Even I know who Nathan Scott is, Hales."

"He's a basketball legend at Duke," Chase explained, seeing the obvious confusion on his friend's face.

"_Was,_" Jake corrected.

Haley furrowed her brow. "What do you mean, was?"

Jake shrugged. "He up and quit in the middle of his senior season, and nobody knows why. There were a bunch of scandals about it, but no one knows for sure."

"He was amazing," Chase added. "He was supposed to go first pick in the NBA Draft."

Haley raised one eyebrow. "You guys should know me well enough to know that I don't get the NBA. But…if he was so great, why is he going to THC now?"

"That's what we're all wondering," Brooke muttered.

"This is fucking insane," Chase murmured with a wide smile. "Can we meet him?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "Alright, this conversation is over. And no, I'm not introducing you to one of my students."

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Jake spoke up in a small voice. "An autograph, at least?"

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><p>Haley got up early the next morning and got her morning workout in. She didn't get to do it as often as she used to, but when she did it made her feel good. There was something about getting up, eating a healthy breakfast, and going for a nice, long jog that just felt right. She was always in a good mood afterwards.<p>

When she returned home, Haley took a nice, long shower and took her time getting ready. She had gotten up in plenty of time and actually had quite a bit of time to spare, so she made her way over to her desk and sat down in front of the computer. She opened up Google Images and allowed her fingers to hesitate above the keyboard for a few seconds before typing in his name.

Nathan Scott.

She'd been curious ever since dinner last night. How had she never heard of this guy? Obviously she wasn't the biggest fan when it came to sports, but if he was so popular she figured she would have at least heard his name in passing at some point. Nothing came to mind though.

She clicked the search button, and her mouth dropped open when the results popped up. There was an incredible amount of photos, most of which consisted of him on the court. She noticed the same number on his jersey in every photo.

Twenty-three.

Haley took her time looking at all the photos on the first page before moving on to the second one. There was a bunch of basketball ones again, as well as a few shirtless pictures in which he was obviously posing. Not being able to stifle her curiosity, Haley enlarged those images as well, biting her lip when they came into view.

Not exactly what a teacher should be doing…biting her lip at the sight of her shirtless student…but she didn't mean to do it. Besides, it's not like anyone was around.

After looking at the rest of the photos, Haley entered his name as a Web search as well. The first few links were stats, and she wasn't even about to begin to try and interpret those. So she skipped them. The next few were talking about his mysterious departure from the game, and several were speculating the cause. She read a few of the articles, which also had pictures attached, but when she noticed that it was time to leave she exited out of the pages and got up.

It was all very weird. Apparently everything the guy did was a mystery. She really wasn't sure why he kept coming in early, but what was she going to do about it? He wasn't technically doing anything wrong.

When she got to her classroom door, Nathan was leaning against it with his books in his hand. "Mr. Scott," she greeted him, waiting for him to move out of the way.

"Miss James," he replied in a low voice as he slowly turned and backed away from the door. He watched her unlock it and then enter the room, flipping the lights on as she passed by. He followed her into the room and set his books down, taking his regular seat.

Haley worked on grading a few papers at her desk, but it didn't last long. Eventually, she just dropped her pen and stood up. "Mr. Scott, why do you do this?"

Nathan looked up. "Why do I do what, Miss James?" At first, Nathan hadn't liked that she was so adamant about being called that, but it was growing on him. He loved saying it now. He loved the way it rolled off of his tongue.

She walked around to the front of her desk and took a seat on the edge. "You come in early every single day and do nothing. I'd like to know why."

"Am I required to tell you?" he inquired.

She said nothing, simply raising one eyebrow at him.

Nathan met her silence with his own, instead only smirking.

"Do you enjoy wasting my time, Mr. Scott?" Haley asked.

"Do you enjoy wasting mine?" he challenged cockily.

Haley laughed bitterly. "I'm not sure who you think you are, or who you think I am, Mr. Scott. But I've got a life to live, and I don't like feeling obligated to be here early every morning."

Nathan stood up and approached her. "First of all, you're here early every morning anyways. Second of all, trust me; I know you have a life. I've seen it."

She furrowed her brow, backing her butt up on the desk a little more. "What the hell are you talking about?" This was starting to get really creepy.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "I'm not a fucking stalker, if that's what you're thinking. You come into my club almost every night with your friends and that boyfriend of yours."

"Tric?" Haley muttered in disbelief. "Tric is your club?"

He nodded. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Haley took a deep breath. "What do you mean, boyfriend?" she asked a moment later.

Nathan sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Tall guy, skinny, spiky hair. If none of that rings a bell, you dry hump him on the dance floor every night, too."

"Chris?" Haley laughed. "Chris is not my boyfriend, not that it's any of your business. I don't have a boyfriend."

"So you're a slut?" Nathan challenged with a wide smirk.

"Excuse me?" Haley slid off the end of the desk and placed her hands on her hips.

Nathan shrugged. "Whether he's your boyfriend or not, it's obvious you're fucking the guy."

Haley brought both her hands in front of her and sent him a stern look. "This conversation is inappropriate, and you need to go. Class doesn't start for another hour."

"If you say so," he muttered, backing up and lifting his books into his arms. When he reached the door, he spoke without turning around. "But just so you know, Miss James, you could do better."

Haley's jaw dropped, and she didn't move from her spot for several minutes. Who the hell did this guy think he was? He never paid attention in class, which was already one of her number one pet peeves. And now he thought that just because she unknowingly hung out in his club a few nights a week he was entitled to ask about her personal life? What a jackass. He was her student, for God's sake. Her personal endeavors were none of his goddamn business.

Her cheeks were hot as she took her place behind her desk again. She picked up her pen and began reading over one of her student's papers. She needed to focus.

About three minutes later, Haley realized that she had read over the same paragraph about twelve times, and she hadn't marked anything wrong with it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to gather herself. These papers weren't going to grade themselves.

Another four minutes passed, and Haley dropped her pen with a long sigh. She still couldn't get past the first paragraph, and she didn't know why. Yeah, she was kind of frustrated with her "basketball god" of a student right now, but that shouldn't affect her work.

It really shouldn't.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the wait on this second chapter. In general, it shouldn't take this long to get each chapter out, but I found myself writing and rewriting scenes for quite a while. It's finally where I want it to be, and I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much to everybody who read and reviewed the first chapter! Each and every response was awesome! Obviously no one likes Chris/Haley. It would be insane if anyone did. But trust me when I say that their relationship is just a small part of this story. I've tried to keep their written PDA at a low level, while still implying some things, so that no one gets too pissed at me! Plus, there's no way in hell I'd be interested in writing a Chris/Haley sex scene. No. Anyways, thanks again, and I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter! Let me know what you think!**

* * *

><p>Haley had vigorously avoided Tric for two days straight, but she was starting to get antsy. Her friends were getting pissed at her because she refused to hang out with them at their new favorite place. Plus, she liked Tric, too. And she missed going to the bar and dancing with her girls and having fun with Chris.<p>

She still couldn't get over the fact that Nathan had insinuated that she and Chris were together. It wasn't any of his business, nor would it ever be. And she also couldn't believe that she had given him an answer, saying that Chris was not her boyfriend. It was true, but still…she should have ended the conversation as soon as the word "boyfriend" was mentioned. It wasn't an appropriate thing for them to be discussing.

It was Monday night, though, and her friends had once again asked her to accompany them to the club. This time, Haley was hesitant before saying yes.

"Finally, Tutor Girl," Brooke replied as she stood in her friend's apartment. "I was starting to question your sanity."

Haley rolled her eyes. "You know why I was avoiding the club, Brooke."

Brooke nodded. "Because that crazy, yet totally gorgeous ex-basketball player slash student slash stalker of yours is creeping you out."

Haley laughed slightly at her friend's words. "I just feel like it's kind of inappropriate for me to show up there when I know that he's the owner."

"Hales, you're off duty. You're not a teacher outside of the classroom, whether you think you are or not. And he's not a student."

"What are you getting at?" Haley asked with her brow furrowed.

Brooke shrugged innocently. "I'm just saying that if you wanted to shake it up a bit, you know, you could-"

"Do not even finish that sentence," Haley scolded loudly. "I can't believe you would suggest something so…so…"

"Hot?" Brooke supplied. "Sexy? Totally on your mind?"

Haley opened the front door to her apartment and motioned for her friend to leave. "I'll meet you guys at the club. And don't ever say anything like that to me again. It's not on my mind, and I sure as hell don't need to shake it up a bit."

Brooke walked to the door but turned around so she could say something more. "Who are you trying to fool, Tutor Girl? Who's the last guy you've been with? Chris. Who are the last seven hundred guys you've been with? Chris. Who's the-" Before she could finish her statement, Brooke both saw and heard the door slam in her face. Her mouth dropped open, and she turned on her heel, stomping away to meet her boyfriend.

After slamming the door in her friend's face, Haley turned around and headed to her bedroom to get ready. She couldn't believe that Brooke was talking like that. Actually, she could; it was Brooke. But Haley most definitely did not need to change anything about her sex life. It was perfectly healthy. Besides, if she did decide to change it up anytime it most definitely would not be by fornicating with one of her students. Just the fact that she had allowed that thought to enter her mind, albeit because of Brooke's insinuation, made her want to smack herself.

Haley got ready for the club, getting dressed in tight, dark skinny jeans and a sparkly, black halter that showed a bit of her stomach as well as her cleavage. She tried to calm down her nerves as she dressed and put her makeup on. What reason did she have to be nervous? She'd hung out with her friends at a club almost every night for the past few years. Why was tonight any different?

She didn't let it slip her mind that even though she now knew the club belonged to Nathan, she'd never seen him there. Clearly he had seen her, though, which was kind of creepy in and of itself. It was creepy and…hot? No! No, it most definitely was not hot.

The last thing she did was her hair before slipping into her black high heels that she loved so much. She gave her reflection the onceover before grabbing her purse and heading out the door. At least she knew tonight wouldn't be boring, and she could definitely use a few drinks.

* * *

><p>Nathan saw her as soon as she walked in; he always did. Maybe that was creepy or weird, but he didn't think so. She just looked so good…better than any other woman in the room, and he couldn't help but notice. Tonight, what he also couldn't help but notice was the fact that part of her flat, tan stomach was exposed. It was a part of her that he had never seen before, and he found himself getting incredibly excited. He smirked as he watched her walk directly up to the bar, his eyes glued to her legs the entire time. It wasn't until he heard a husky voice next to him that he snapped out of his trance.<p>

"What's up, partner?"

Nathan turned, wondering who in the hell used a phrase like that anymore. When he finally came face-to-face with the tall, spiky-haired guy that "wasn't Haley's boyfriend" he raised an eyebrow. He already didn't like this guy. "Can I help you?"

Chris took a sip of his beer and nodded. "Yeah, I think that you can. That woman that you're staring at from across the club? You can leave her the hell alone."

Shaking his head, Nathan smirked. He couldn't believe the nerve of this guy, talking to him like that in his own club. "Yeah, okay. I'll be sure to do that, _partner._"

"This isn't a game, hot shot," Chris replied agitatedly. "I know who you are, and maybe to some people that means something, but it doesn't to me. And if you mess with Haley, you mess with me."

Nathan chuckled. "From where I'm standing, it looks like you're the one messing with her, man. I'm not the one fucking her and then not even having the balls to call it a relationship." Although he was playing it cool, Nathan knew that he would give almost anything to be the one that _was _fucking her. Sure, he was slightly jealous of this Chris character, but he didn't have to let that show.

Chris glared at him as he took another sip from his beer. "We're best friends, asshole. End of story."

"Yeah, best friends that are sleeping together," Nathan muttered. "There's another name for that, prick. Friends with benefits."

"You know what, you-"

Nathan interrupted him. "I'm not judging you, rock star. I don't know a guy that wouldn't like a piece of that, so props to you. Now go comb your hair or something, and leave me the hell alone."

Chris's free hand clenched at his side in anger. "Stay away from her," he gritted out before walking away and towards the bar.

Nathan smirked. Yeah, he was jealous of Chris, but it was clear that Chris was on his way to being jealous of Nathan as well.

It didn't take long for him to find her at the bar again, surrounded by all of her friends. She had a drink in her hand, and he watched as she downed it quickly before taking another one from Owen. He saw her laugh at something Chris said and rolled his eyes.

It was a good hour before he spotted her at the bar alone. He'd been going over paperwork in his office for a little bit, getting extremely tired of watching her with that spiky-haired asshole. He wasted no time in walking over to her. She was standing up at the bar, another drink in her hand. That one quickly disappeared as well, and he wondered how many of them she had had tonight. As he walked up behind her, he noticed something on the exposed skin of her lower back, just above her jeans, and he smirked. Who knew Miss James was sporting a tramp stamp? He definitely wouldn't have guessed that.

"DS," Nathan muttered as he stepped up directly beside her. "What does that stand for?"

Haley turned her head as she sipped on another drink. "Excuse me?"

"DS," he repeated. When he saw that she was still looking at him like he had two heads, he chuckled. "Your tattoo. Did you forget what it says?"

She rolled her eyes, not really aware that she was a bit tipsy. "I try to," she said under her breath, hoping that he hadn't heard her.

Nathan frowned. "Bad break up?" he questioned knowingly.

Haley took another long sip of her drink and looked at him. "Something like that," she whispered.

"You know, it seems like you drink a lot," Nathan observed, choosing not to press the tattoo thing.

"Checking up on me?" Haley retorted with a raised eyebrow.

Nathan smiled softly. "It's not that hard to see, Miss James. Every time you're in here, you spend the majority of your time at the bar while your friends are dancing and having fun."

Turning to face him, Haley leaned her body against the bar. "You know, you always seem to find the most inappropriate things to talk to me about," she said, her words slurring a bit. "Did you forget that I'm your teacher?"

He chuckled. "I guess I'm just trying to get to know you," he said softly, looking into her eyes. To his surprise, she wasn't looking away, but after a minute he did. He allowed his eyes to travel down her neck and chest until he reached the curves of her breasts. He could feel his own eyes glazing over as he took in her body. When his eyes reached that small strip of exposed stomach, he couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. He briefly closed his eyes, trying to control himself, before he met her eyes again. They had never left his, apparently. "You know, you-"

He was interrupted by that goddamn husky voice saying, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Nathan turned around and glared at Chris. "We're just having a conversation, man. Calm the fuck down."

"I don't think so," Chris replied. "I told you to stay the hell away from her, and as soon as I turn my back you come rushing over here. Why don't you try being a little more pathetic? She doesn't want to talk to you."

Nathan raised both his eyebrows. "I'm not going to tell you again, rock star. Back the fuck up, or you're going to regret ever talking to me."

"I'm not afraid of you," Chris scoffed, clearly having had a few drinks himself. "You're just-"

"Chris," Haley interjected loudly. "Don't worry about it. He wasn't bothering me."

Nathan glanced at her, surprised.

Haley didn't look at him. Instead, she stepped around him and linked her arm through Chris's. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Chris continued to glare at Nathan for a few more seconds before nodding slightly and walking forward with Haley.

Nathan really didn't like that guy, and what he liked even less was what he knew was going to happen between them soon. Neither one had admitted it, but it was so damn obvious. He clenched his fists at his sides before making his way behind the bar and grabbing a beer. With it, he retreated into his office, deciding to try and get some work done. Maybe it would take his mind off of her. It had to.

* * *

><p>Haley lay on her back for several minutes, both trying to regain some normalcy in her breathing and waiting for him to fall asleep. When she was positive that he was, both because his breathing had evened out and because he had begun to snore lightly, she sat up slowly and glanced back at him. She smiled softly before standing up and gathering her clothes, which were scattered all over the wooden floor of his apartment. She dressed slowly and meticulously, not in any rush. Once she was done, she grabbed her purse from atop the dining room table and exited the apartment. It wasn't far to her place, and she was used to making this walk late at night. He'd told her endless times that she should just stay with him, that it wasn't safe to be out by herself so late. And she had countered, saying that they lived in Tree Hill. How much danger could really be lurking around the corner? She didn't want to start spending the night with him either. That was something couples did, and they weren't a couple. Even though sometimes she got the feeling that he wanted them to be, she sure as hell didn't. He was her best friend, and even though she loved him he would never be anything more. Their relationship just wasn't like that.<p>

She was home ten minutes later and quickly changed out of the uncomfortable clothes she had sported to the club. She usually slept in just her panties and bra, and tonight was no different. After brushing her teeth and performing her nightly routine, Haley stood in front of her mirror, appraising her appearance. Slowly, she felt herself turning around so she could examine the tattoo on her lower back.

DS.

She couldn't believe that Nathan had noticed it. Then again, it's not like it was hard to see when her back was exposed. She always did everything in her power to forget it was there. She didn't like being reminded of that time of her life because in all honesty, it was still painful to think about. The scars she possessed from that relationship would never go away, and the tattoo was a constant reminder of what she'd had and what she'd lost.

All of her friends had told her not to blame herself; they still did sometimes. But it didn't matter. It didn't matter that she knew that it wasn't her fault. She still _felt _like it was.

Haley shook her head. She'd promised herself she wouldn't think about it again. She was done living in the past, but still she stood there for the next few minutes looking at the permanent mark of initials on her body. She bit her lip as she ran her thumb over the small tattoo, and then with a long sigh she finally turned the bathroom light out and stepped into her bedroom.

* * *

><p>Nathan gathered his clothes from the floor and dressed quickly. He didn't want this chick to wake up before he left. Then she'd most likely get whiny and ask him why he was leaving, as if she didn't already know that their relationship would consist of only a one night stand. He'd never see her again. He knew that, and he was okay with it. It's the kind of guy he'd always been. It's the kind of guy he would always be.<p>

Once he was dressed, Nathan made sure his phone and his keys were still in the pocket of his jeans before departing. It didn't take him long to reach the street, and his phone almost immediately started ringing. He silently thanked God that it hadn't gone off while he was still in the woman's apartment before pulling the device out of his pocket and answering it. "Hello?"

"Hey," the man on the other end answered. "Where the hell are you? Owen said he saw you leave with some blonde. You were supposed to stay at the club tonight and finish up the paperwork for the renovations. We have to have it done by tomorrow."

"I'm on my way," Nathan answered his brother, making his way over to the SUV he had inherited from his mother. He opened the door and climbed in the driver's seat. He didn't bother waiting for an answer before he hung up his phone and headed back to the club.

Lucas was always concerned about Nathan leaving the club, even though he knew very well that he always came back.

After a half hour in his office, Nathan had not been able to concentrate at all. He couldn't get any work done, knowing that she was getting off with that idiot. Eventually he had given up and picked up the first girl that came up to him, quickly getting her to agree to go home with him. Nathan never took women back to his apartment though…ever. That was just asking for trouble. So instead, he got the girl's address and drove them both there. He found that even as he followed her inside of her apartment and began to take her clothes off, he still couldn't get his mind off of his teacher.

Right now, though, he was going to try to forget that that had happened. Women didn't control Nathan Scott. He didn't spend all of his time thinking about _one _woman. In his opinion, he was flat out being a pussy, and it needed to stop. He had let Miss James intimidate him, but that was over.

Unfortunately, he knew the only thing that would stop his wondering and interest in her was to actually get something from her. He knew how unlikely that was though.

So Nathan vowed to not think about her anymore when he wasn't in her presence, to not be jealous of her so-called relationship with Chris, and to be as charming as possible when she was around.

Nathan parked in his usual spot behind the club and went straight into his office to begin the paperwork. Not five minutes into it, he heard his brother clear his throat and looked up. Lucas was standing in front of Nathan's desk with a sheepish smile on his face. "What's up?" Nathan inquired, setting his pen down.

Lucas placed his hands in his pockets and continued to smile. "It looks like you've got things handled here, bro. I'm going to cut out early, okay?"

Nathan furrowed his brow. "You just called me here to work on the paperwork that's due tomorrow, and now you're not even going to help me with it?"

"Well, here's the thing," Lucas started, his smile disappearing. "One of the renovators called earlier and said there's some sort of hold up. So we've actually got an extension on the paperwork."

"Like, until Wednesday?" Nathan asked. "We should probably still get it done tonight so we don't have to worry about it."

"Actually, it's until next Monday," Lucas said under his breath.

Nathan stood up slowly. "What was that?"

"The extension is good until next Monday," his brother repeated.

"Let me get this straight," Nathan said, holding one hand up. "You called me here to finish paperwork that's not due until _next _Monday when I could be at home sleeping? You know it's my night off, right?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes, but Owen got sick earlier and had to leave so I need you to bartend until closing."

"And why can't you do it?"

His brother looked to the ground. "I might have a date."

"A date?" Nathan asked loudly.

Lucas held up his hand. "Look, this woman is amazing, okay? And this is the only night that she can hang out with me, so please. I'm sure you owe me for something."

"Who is this chick?"

Lucas motioned his brother over to the office door and nodded towards a brunette leaning against the wall and texting on her cell phone.

Nathan recognized her. She was one of the women that Haley always came to the club with. He'd never met her, but Lucas was right; she looked kind of amazing. Nathan sighed heavily and shook his head. "Whatever, man. Just go."

"Thanks, man. I owe you big," Lucas said quickly before exiting the office and making his way over to his date. "You ready to go, Brooke?"

The woman looked up from her phone when she heard his voice and automatically smiled. "You bet, Broody."

* * *

><p>"Alright, that's it for today, guys," Haley announced, dismissing the class. "Don't forget to finish up the reading tonight. Oh, and I want your essays on my desk first thing tomorrow morning."<p>

Nathan stood up with the rest of the students and headed towards the exit, stopping when he heard Miss James's voice behind him.

"Mr. Scott, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Nathan smirked before turning around and making his way back over to her desk. She was sitting on the edge of it with her legs crossed, as per usual, and he stood in front of her with his books in one hand. "Yeah, Miss James?"

Haley gave him a small smile. "I wanted to talk to you about the last assignment that you turned in."

"Oh," Nathan replied. "Was there something wrong with it? I thought I followed all your procedures correctly for once," he finished with a small chuckle.

Haley returned the laugh and shook her head. "You followed the procedures flawlessly, Mr. Scott. You were actually one of the only ones who did. I just wanted to let you know that you're doing very well. Even though the course just started a few weeks ago, I can already see the improvements in your writing."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Really? As I seem to recall, you accused me of never paying attention in class just a few days ago. You changed your mind awfully quickly."

She hesitated before answering. "I suppose I did. Look, I'm not saying you're the next Faulkner or anything, but you're improving." She gave him a teasing smile.

Shaking his head amusedly, Nathan laughed. "Well, thanks. I appreciate it. And by the way, I have no interest in being the next Faulkner…whoever that is."

Haley laughed. "You're kidding, right?"

"I swear on my life, I've never heard of the guy," Nathan replied, watching her lips move as she laughed at him. He was enjoying the sound, purely for the fact that it was new to him.

Ceasing her laughter, Haley bit her lip. "Well now you have," she said softly.

Nathan smiled, and they were both silent for a few seconds before he spoke again. "So is this conversation sufficiently appropriate for you?" he questioned teasingly.

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Yes, it is, and I'd like to keep it that way, if you don't mind."

"Oh, okay," Nathan answered. "So I can't talk about your pathetic friends with benefits relationship? Or your mysterious tramp stamp? Or your obsession with straight vodka?"

Haley pressed her lips together tightly. "You know what, Mr. Scott? Clearly, it isn't possible for you to engage in a strictly platonic conversation. I'm sorry to have taken up your time. You can go now."

Nathan took a step forward, still holding his books in one hand. His legs brushed up against her knees, and he felt his entire body begin to tingle. He did his best to remain composed though. "You're honestly going to sit here and tell me that the only pull you feel towards me is a platonic one? Is that it, _Miss James_?"

"I'm not sure what you're insinuating, _Mr. Scott, _but whatever it is that you think that I'm feeling, you're wrong." Haley leaned forward so her face was directly in front of his, trying to ignore the way her body was heating up due to their proximity. She was also pushing thoughts of the way it had felt when his legs touched her knees out of her head. Everything running through her mind right now could be deemed, as she herself would say, inappropriate.

"Is that right?" Nathan repeated softly.

Haley swallowed and nodded slowly.

He knew that she was lying; he was almost positive. But he also knew that he could be wrong, so he decided not to push her on it. Instead, he took a step away from her and held out his free hand.

She was hesitant before accepting his hand, surprised by his gentle touch. Wait, why the hell was she referring to it as his gentle touch? This was Nathan, for God's sake. Mr. Scott. It was a fucking handshake. She did it every day.

"Maybe you're right," Nathan whispered, leaning his face closer to hers momentarily. "Maybe this is all one-sided." He watched as she inhaled and then let out a shaky breath. "Or maybe not," he added with a smirk before pulling his hand away from her much smaller one.

Haley couldn't even say anything. How had they gone from talking about his academic achievements to them having so-called feelings for each other so quickly?

Nathan continued to back away from her. "By the way, I hope you had fun last night. I know I did." He winked at her. "You're not the only one getting laid, Miss James."

Her mouth dropped open slightly, but she quickly shut it and gripped the edge of her desk hard. "Is that supposed to mean something to me, Mr. Scott?"

He smirked. "No, but I can see that it does." Nathan's smirk eased into a smile before he turned around and finally left the classroom.

Haley was pissed off. And on top of that, she wasn't even sure what had just occurred between her and Nathan. She had kept him behind simply to congratulate him on his progress in the class, but of course he had changed the subject to the appropriateness, or lack thereof, of their conversations. She really hated that he had thrown that word back in her face like that. She couldn't help that when she thought about him, that was the only word that came to mind. That wasn't her fault.

And she hated it when people referred to her and Chris as having a friends with benefits relationship. Obviously it was true, but she didn't need to be reminded of that every fucking second. When she thought about what she had been doing with Chris for several months now, she consequently thought about _why _she was sleeping with him. It's not like she just randomly asked him to have sex with her. There had been a reason, and that reason was still there. Therefore, she was still having sex with him. Along the way, she may have inadvertently caused Chris to develop feelings for her, but that was his problem, not hers. Nothing had changed on her end.

Haley found the fact that he had referred to her tattoo as a tramp stamp completely ironic, considering her reasons for originally getting the initials imprinted on her back. But Nathan didn't know anything about that, and it wasn't his business to find out.

And she wasn't fucking obsessed with vodka either. Just because she liked to go out a few nights a week and have a few drinks with her friends did not make her an alcoholic. He didn't even know anything about it. Maybe she stayed off of the dance floor for the majority of the time because she didn't want to dance. Just because vodka was her drink of choice didn't mean that it was an obsession.

She didn't even know how long she sat there thinking these things, but in the end she came to the conclusion that Nathan was a total jackass. He was pushing her buttons, and it was pissing her the hell off. No one had ever been able to make her so angry with just one statement. Not even Chris, who had been her best friend for several years, could get her going like that. And she was under the impression that he knew her better than anyone else in the world.

Yes. Nathan was a total jackass. But what pissed Haley off more than anything was the fact that after he had talked about last night, she had gotten this feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. She'd felt it before, and it was actually quite familiar to her, so it wasn't difficult to recognize. It was jealousy. And Haley had no clue why it was present because there was no way in hell that Nathan had succeeded in making her jealous. No way in hell.

* * *

><p>Haley and Chris were hanging out at Tric a few nights later. Haley had actually gone by herself, just in the mood to have a few drinks and cool off after a long day of work, but Chris had showed up halfway through her first drink. She didn't mind the company. He could almost always make her smile, and she definitely needed a few distractions.<p>

Tonight was different though. Haley was slowly finding that the reason she had come out alone tonight was because she actually _wanted _to be alone. Why she had come to Tric, where she knew Nathan would be, she didn't know. And she wasn't going to think about it.

"Haley, are you even listening to me?" Chris asked with a small chuckle. She'd seemed off in her own little world all night.

Her head turned to face him, and she smiled. "Of course I'm listening to you."

"No, you're not," he replied. "What the hell have you been staring at all night?" He followed her line of vision from earlier, and his face immediately turned hard.

"Chris," Haley said lowly as she watched his face turn. "Don't."

Chris shook his head in disbelief. "Don't tell me you're actually into this guy. He's a fucking freak, Haley."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid. He's my student. It's not like that," she muttered.

"You forget how long we've been friends, Haley. I can tell when you're lying, even if you can't."

She shook her head, replying quietly, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Chris stood up, tossing some money onto the bar to pay for his beers. "Whatever. I'm going home. Are you coming?" He held his hand out to her.

She turned to look at him, her eyes focusing on his offered hand. She bit her lip. This was weird. It was the first time in months that she actually _didn't _want to leave with Chris. She had other things on her mind…other people on her mind. She knew he was expecting her to give in though. "No," she finally said, taking a sip of her drink afterwards.

"Haley," Chris said with a long sigh. "Come on. You know you want to."

She felt herself slipping for a second as a small smile appeared on her face, but she shook it off. "No," she repeated. "I think I'm just going to hang out here for a bit longer."

Chris was getting frustrated with her now. "Come on, babe. It'll be fun. We always-"

"I believe she said no," a voice cut in, standing directly next to Haley now.

Haley looked up at Nathan, shocked that he had actually come over. What the hell was he doing?

Chris laughed sardonically. "And I believe this is none of your business, so buzz off." He turned to Haley. "Seriously, Haley. Let's go."

"No," she said for a third time. "I'm fine here. Really. Just go, okay?"

"Yeah, just go," Nathan taunted.

"You need to shut the fuck up," Chris returned, stepping closer to Nathan.

Haley stood up so that she was just between them and put her hands on Chris's chest. "Stop it," she told him sternly. "And just go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Haley-"

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," she insisted, pushing him forward slightly.

Chris rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he mumbled before turning around and walking away from them.

Haley sat back down and finished off her drink, running her index finger along the glass as she waited for another.

Nathan took the seat next to her. "So you've been staring at me an awful lot tonight," he commented with a smirk. "Is that why your boyfriend is so upset?"

Haley glared at him before looking away.

"Why is it that you were staring at me anyways?" he pressed. "I mean, I know I'm sexy, but you were kind of obvious, Miss James. Anyone could have seen," he teased her.

After receiving her drink, Haley took a few sips before turning to face him. "Let's dance."

Nathan's brow rose. "What?"

Haley stood up and held her hand out to him. "Let's dance," she repeated slowly.

"Miss James, I hardly think dancing to this kind of music with a student would be…_appropriate._" Nathan smirked but still stood up and accepted her offered hand. He knew she was slightly drunk, but he wasn't completely sober either. Besides, it was just a dance…completely innocent, right? He knew it wouldn't be though, not with the way her dress hugged her every curve and the way she was currently looking at him from underneath her eyelashes.

After a short shrug, Haley turned around and pulled him into the center of the dance floor with her.

He hadn't even joined her yet, but Nathan couldn't take his eyes off of her form as she moved in front of him. Normally when girls danced in front of him, all they were trying to do was be sexy and get his attention, but this time was different. Without even trying, Haley was already the sexiest woman in the room, and the way she was dancing only confirmed it. Her hands were on his shoulders as she swayed her hips, and the hem of her blue dress edged slowly up her thigh, threatening to expose even more of her luscious skin. The heels she was wearing only intensified his longing to stare at her legs, and to top it all off her cleavage was practically spilling out of the top of her dress. She looked absolutely phenomenal, and when he moved his eyes to her face and realized that she had been watching him check her out the entire time, it simply served to turn him on even more.

The song ended, but another one started almost immediately. This one was even faster, but after a moment Haley stopped dancing. Her hands were still on Nathan's shoulders as she looked up at him. Watching him check her out had turned her on to no end. It had been a long, long fucking time since she had felt appreciated in that way. Things with Chris were different. He was her best friend, and she knew that even though his feelings for her ran deeper now he still didn't appreciate her body like that. The look she'd just seen in Nathan's eyes had never been in Chris's, or anyone else's for that matter. But it was when their eyes met that she felt things really explode inside of her. His blue eyes were so dark, darker than she'd ever noticed before, and they were full of so much lust and intensity. There was no mistaking either emotion. He wanted her, and God it felt so good to be wanted again. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to dance with me?" she asked, never breaking eye contact with him.

Nathan smirked. Of course he was going to dance with her. Why the hell would he give up this opportunity? "Turn around," he said in a husky voice.

She almost asked him why, but at the last minute she stopped herself. The unadulterated look in his eyes told her to just do what he told her to, and she obeyed. She pulled her hands down from his shoulders and turned around, almost immediately feeling his entire front press against her back. Even when she had been dancing earlier, they hadn't been pressed together, and the feel of him had her gasping.

Nathan closed his eyes at the sound and swore he'd never heard anything so incredibly sexy in his entire life. And holy shit, her body felt good against his. His hands instinctively moved to her hips and gripped them hard as he began to grind his lower body into hers. The words teacher and student and classroom had left his mind long ago, and all he was focusing on was how good it felt to dance with her.

Haley had no idea what outrageous hip hop song was playing, and she honestly couldn't care less. Nathan was grinding his body into hers, and it felt so damn good. She brought both her hands to rest on top of his and moved them up her stomach until they were just below her breasts. Then, without another thought, she pushed them back down to her hips. The quickness of her breathing was beginning to increase, and she could feel her heart rate picking up. She had never been so turned on in her entire life, and they'd spent all of five minutes together. What the hell was he doing to her?

When Haley had taken control of his hands, Nathan had sucked in a large breath. As he moved his hands from her hips down to her thighs and came into direct contact with the skin there, he breathed in again. "You're so sexy," he whispered into her ear as he gripped her thighs.

Yeah, her breathing was definitely out of control now. They were moving so fast together, and it only intensified when Haley began grinding her ass against him. She couldn't help it. It was honestly a natural reaction with the position they were currently in.

Nathan groaned out loud. He almost never did that, especially in a fucking room full of people. But her ass felt so good against him, and he couldn't help it. He continued to grind against her while using his hands to inch her dress up her thighs, being careful not to take it too far. Nathan's mouth was still next to her ear, and he grunted into it, "You feel so fucking good right now."

And just like that, Miss James was back. Haley grabbed his hands and threw them off of her, turning around and taking a step back. Her eyes went wide. "Oh, my God," she muttered. "I'm sorry. I…I have to go." And with that, she ran off of the dance floor and out of the club.

What the hell was that all about? Nathan stood there, shocked, for several minutes before leaving the dance floor. God, it had felt so good, and she had just randomly stopped. He knew what she was probably thinking about, but in all honesty he didn't give a fuck. He wanted her. And it was clear that she wanted him, too.

Haley had been standing outside of the club for ten minutes, and her breathing still hadn't returned to normal. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, and her legs were shaking because of what she'd just done.

Because it had been so wrong.

Because it had felt so good.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks so much for the reviews for the first two chapters! I'm not sure if you guys will view this chapter as forward or rushed, but it's how I've had it planned. The last scene makes up a huge chunk of the chapter, but I think in this stage of the story that's okay. Sorry it's been almost a week again! Definitely wasn't intentional. I'll be out of town this next week, but hopefully I'll be able to find some time to write while I'm on the road. Please enjoy, and let me know what you really think! Thanks.**

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><p>Haley hadn't left her apartment for two days straight, but now she had class, and she could no longer avoid it…him. She hadn't told anyone about their little dance, and she didn't plan to.<p>

If she was being totally honest with herself, Haley had been thinking about him and about that dance for the whole of the last forty-eight hours. Her thoughts and feelings towards him were completely unwarranted, and she hated herself for the way she had been thinking.

_Maybe I could get away with it._

_Nobody has to find out._

She was his teacher, and those weren't proper thoughts to be having. Then again, neither were the ones she was having about him and the way he'd felt that night.

She couldn't get it out of her head…the way his body had felt pressed against hers and the way his hands had felt touching her. Her whole body had been on fire as his hands came into direct contact with her exposed thighs. Feeling his desire for her pressed hard into her back had turned her on to no end. As they had moved together, all she had been thinking was that she wished that they were alone. She wished that she wasn't his teacher, and she wished that there were no barriers between them.

Obviously she had been drinking a bit that night but not as much as he had probably thought. She remembered every second of it, and she had been completely coherent when asking him to dance.

God, the way his eyes had roved over her form as she had begun to dance in front of him. That one act alone had made her want him. She'd never been looked at like that before, and she wanted to be looked at like that again. She wanted him to show her just how much he wanted her. She wanted him to prove it.

But her morals were fighting her. She didn't know how old Nathan was, and even though she was sure he was about her age, it was still wrong. Having those types of relations with a student was wrong. She didn't even know the rules on that type of thing at THC. She'd never looked into it because she hadn't planned on it being an issue.

It was the oddest thing though. For the first time in her life, Haley found herself genuinely not giving a damn about any rules. That's how badly she wanted him. And she hadn't even realized it until his hands had been on her body and his hot breath had whispered into her ear. That's when she had given in.

But she still wasn't sure that she could bring herself to do it. No matter how badly she wanted him, she just didn't know if she could do it. She felt like it would completely change who she was, but she'd also felt that way when she first started sleeping with Chris. She was still the same person, though, so maybe Nathan wouldn't change her either. She could still be the Miss James she had always been.

Chris had tried to call her numerous times over the past two days. He had even stopped by once, but Haley didn't answer the door. It wasn't because she didn't want to see him. She just knew that he would be pissed off at her, and she had a ton to think about anyways. She hadn't spoken to any of her other friends that had tried calling either.

She really wasn't in the mood to dress up today, and technically it wasn't a rule that the teachers had to. Haley had dressed up every day she'd ever taught, and today was the first day she just didn't feel like it. So she got dressed in a pair of nicely fitting jeans, a pale yellow sweatshirt, and flip flops. She softly curled her dark hair, which had started growing out quite a bit. She found herself enjoying the new length. After doing her makeup, she grabbed everything she would need for the day and headed to work.

Nathan was leaning against her door again when she arrived, and she avoided all possible eye contact as she waited for him to move. Once he had, she unlocked the door and flipped the light on as she went inside. God, her heart was pounding in her chest. She was so nervous to be around him now. She didn't know what he was going to say or do. Hell, she didn't know what _she _was going to say or do.

But just like almost every other day, Nathan went straight to his seat in the front row and sat down with his books. Haley discreetly looked up at him a couple of times, but he didn't seem nervous at all. It was kind of pissing her off a little bit, even though it was technically a good thing that he was acting like nothing had happened.

Nathan couldn't take his eyes off of her for a minute of the class. This was the first time he'd ever seen her dressed casually, and to his surprise he loved it. She looked so natural and laid back dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, in contrast to her usual teacher persona. However, she also still looked incredibly sexy, especially since he couldn't stop thinking about how it felt to touch her.

His whole plan to not think about her when they weren't around one another had failed miserably after they had danced together. He couldn't get that night out of his head, and he couldn't help but want more from her. But he had tried to play it cool this morning and act like nothing had happened. He wanted to gauge her reaction to the situation, and from the looks of it her thoughts paralleled his.

As soon as class started, Haley felt like herself again. That's what she loved about teaching; it could always melt away her stress and make her feel right at home.

"Alright, no homework, but if you're not caught up on the reading I'd suggest you do that tonight," Haley announced at the end of class, sending her students a pointed look.

Everyone got up and filed out of the room except for Nathan. He knew that they needed to talk about the other night, and he knew that she would want to. Once everyone else was gone, he got up and walked over to her. She was perched on her desk again, and he stood directly in front of her, realizing he had no idea what to say about the other night. She probably thought it was the biggest mistake of her life.

Her soft voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Go close the door."

He hesitated briefly before giving her a short nod and walking to the door. He closed it quietly and turned around, almost jumping when he realized that she had followed him. She was standing directly in front of him, and before he knew what was happening her lips were on his.

Haley didn't know what had come over her, but her body carried her to Nathan. Once he had turned around, she placed her hands on his chest and pushed him against the door roughly, attaching her lips to his in a hard kiss.

He didn't even respond at first. He barely even knew what the hell was going on. But after a few seconds, he started to kiss her back just as forcefully as he gripped her hips in his hands. After a moment though, he pulled away and stared at her questioningly. "Miss James, what are you doing?"

"Call me Haley," she whispered as she looked up at his face. Her body was still pressed against his, and she knew that he wanted her.

Nathan couldn't believe that he was questioning her right now, but he couldn't help it. "Haley," he said softly, bringing one of his hands up to her face. He caressed her cheek, smiling slightly when he noticed her leaning into his touch. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't this what you wanted?" she whispered, her hands still on his strong chest.

"Is it what you want?" he returned. His lower half was seriously reprimanding him for asking all these questions, but for some reason he had to be sure.

Haley didn't even hesitate before nodding her head.

Nathan smirked, moving his hand back down to her hip. "Not here," he said quietly. "Anyone could see."

She nodded again. "I have another class in an hour," she stated before reluctantly backing away from his body.

Nathan moved around her and grabbed his books from his desk. He opened the door to the classroom and sent her a quick smile before departing.

Haley's eyes were wide as she took a seat behind her desk. She didn't think she'd ever surprised herself so much with just one action. And oddly, she hadn't started regretting it yet.

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><p>"Oh, so you <em>are <em>alive," Chris stated sarcastically as he entered his best friend's apartment.

Haley rolled her eyes, shutting the door behind him. "I'm sorry about the past couple of days. I just needed some time to myself. I'm good now."

"So you aren't mad at me?"

She shook her head. "No, Chris. I was not and am not mad at you."

He smiled. "So we're cool?"

Haley nodded. "Yes, we are cool. Come here." She brought him into a hug.

Chris wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, resting his chin on top of her head. "I missed you, buddy."

"I missed you, too," Haley replied, smiling when she pulled out of the embrace.

Chris returned the smile and took both her hands in his, leaning forward.

When she realized he was leaning in for a kiss, Haley removed her hands from his and took a step back. "Chris, we should um…talk about that," she said quietly.

"Talk about what?" he questioned, clearly confused. He stepped close to her again.

"You and I," Haley responded, her voice just above a whisper. "This…our arrangement."

"Oh." Chris shoved both his hands in his pockets. This didn't sound good. It sounded like she was getting ready to end things, and that was absolutely the last thing he wanted.

Haley gave him a small smile. "Chris, you're my best friend, okay? And you will always be my best friend. And God, you don't even…I am so thankful to you for what you've done for me these past several months. I don't know if I would have made it through everything without you." She felt herself tearing up as she thought about how hard it had been and just how much her friends had helped her through that time.

Chris shook his head and smiled. "You would have. You're the strongest person I know, Haley."

She smiled, but it slowly faded. "Like I said, I'm so thankful for what you've done for me. And I don't regret a second of our time together because it helped me so much, but we both knew it wasn't going to last forever. We had an agreement, and I'm better now. I'm better than I have been in a long time, actually. I think you know that."

"Haley, you're still drinking," Chris objected warily.

She bit her lip, looking down at the ground for a moment. "Not like I used to," she whispered. "And you know that, too." She took a deep breath, looking up at him again. "The point is we're best friends. And we both deserve to move on with our lives with other people. We can't hook up anymore."

"Haley," Chris mumbled with a shake of his head. "I don't think you're ready."

"No offense, but that's not really up to you," she replied. "I love you for caring, Chris, really. But I am ready, and you have to respect that. You're still my best friend. This doesn't change that."

Chris ran his hands over his face, letting out a deep sigh. "You're sure about this?" God, the last thing he wanted was to end their arrangement. She was right though. That's exactly what it had always been: an arrangement. There weren't supposed to be any feelings involved, and he had been foolish enough to allow himself to fall for her. They were best friends, though, and if this was what she wanted then he would do it. He wanted her to be happy.

"Yes," she replied with a strong nod. "I'm sure."

"Okay," he answered quietly.

Haley smiled softly. "Thank you, Chris. Thank you for not freaking out on me." She wrapped her arms around him again. She had been extremely nervous about this conversation. Truthfully, she'd been wanting to have it for a while now. She wanted to be stronger, and she wanted to do it on her own. She knew that Chris had developed some sort of feelings for her, and she wasn't sure how he would react to this. But he was being a great best friend, as usual, and she loved him so much for that. The last thing she needed to worry about was her relationship with her best friend. There was enough on her plate as it was.

Chris hugged her back tightly. "I would never, babe."

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><p>Lucas smiled at the beautiful woman sitting across from him. It was their second date, and they were currently having dinner at one of Tree Hill's finest restaurants. Even though this was only the second time he'd hung out with her, Lucas could feel himself falling hard and fast. He'd never been in love before, but he'd always imagined how it would feel. And this was exactly it.<p>

Similar thoughts were running through the brunette woman's mind. When she saw him smile at her from across the table, she instantly returned it. "Thank you for dinner, Luke," Brooke said. "I had a great time tonight."

"Me, too," Lucas replied honestly, the lovesick smile still on his face.

"I also had fun the other night," Brooke said suggestively. "Even though we skipped dinner and went straight to dessert."

Lucas blushed as she talked about their first "date." He had planned on taking her out, but it had been so late already, so they just went back to his apartment. He wasn't usually the type to sleep with a woman on the first date; that was more his brother's forte. But there was something about this woman that he simply couldn't resist. "I did, too," he replied finally. "I really like you, Brooke." He placed his hands on top of the table and opened them for her.

Brooke smiled, placing both of her hands in his and leaning across the table. Their lips met in a soft kiss, until she deepened it by pushing her tongue between his lips.

"We should probably get out of here," Lucas mumbled a moment later. "I'm not really up for giving everyone a show tonight."

Laughing, Brooke let go of one of his hands and stood up. "I think you're the shyest guy I've ever met, Broody." She loved it about him though.

"The opposite to you, Cheery," he replied with a laugh. He squeezed her hand as they left the restaurant, and once they were outside he wrapped his arm securely around her shoulders.

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><p>Haley looked up at him from underneath her eyelashes as she took a sip of her drink. She was definitely going to need some liquid courage tonight.<p>

After much internal debate, Haley decided that one time wouldn't kill her. One time, and then her desire for him could fizzle out. Then it would all be over before it even began, and she would simply be Miss James again. And he would be Mr. Scott.

Right now, though, she wanted to be Haley. Just Haley. And she wanted him to be Nathan. Nothing more and nothing less.

She licked her lips as she set her drink down and stood up from the bar stool she had been sitting on. She had come here alone tonight, but this time she knew exactly what she was after.

She stalked over to him and placed a hand in the center of his chest. "You have an office?" she asked in a low voice.

Nathan nodded. His heart rate had already been high, but after she put her hand on his chest it skyrocketed. He took her free hand in his and turned around, leading her to the back of the club where his office was located.

As soon as the door was closed, Haley did just what she had done in her classroom the other day. She pushed him up against the door and kissed him, this time running her hands under his shirt and up his stomach.

This time, Nathan didn't hesitate. He moved his hands down her back and to her ass, lifting her up and allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He crossed the office and pushed her up against the wall as he kissed her back forcefully. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, letting out a deep groan once it came into contact with hers. After a moment, Nathan pulled his mouth away from hers and began leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses along her neck. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he breathed, closing his eyes for a second to take the moment in. He lifted his head and met her eyes, which were most definitely clouded over with lust. "I can't stop thinking about being with you like this."

She knew exactly what he meant, and she silently returned the sentiment by tightening her legs around his waist and grinding her lower half into his. She heard him groan loudly, and she smirked before placing a hand behind his head and bringing his lips back to hers. She kissed him hungrily for several minutes, repeating the grinding motion with her hips every once in a while. As she pulled her head away from his, she bit his bottom lip gently and then soothed it by kissing him once more.

Nathan could feel himself getting harder and harder by the second, and he was fairly sure he'd never been so turned on in his entire life. As they broke apart, his eyes traveled down her flushed face and neck until they reached the cleavage her dress was exposing. He bit back a moan at the sight and moved his hands to her thighs, untangling her from his waist. "Get down," he commanded softly. Once she was standing against the wall, he backed up.

She knew what he wanted her to do, and she was too goddamn turned on to say anything about it. Instead, she slowly walked towards him and turned around so her back was facing him.

Understanding what she needed, Nathan placed one hand on her shoulder and used the other to slowly lower the zipper of her dress.

Haley held the dress up until she had moved back to her previous spot against the wall, and then she shimmied it down her body until it hit the floor. She kicked her high heels off, too, and stepped away from the pile.

Nathan was pretty sure his jaw hit the floor at about the same time her dress did. This was his teacher. This was Miss James. And she was standing in front of him, wearing nothing but a lacy, strapless black and white bra and matching panties, willingly. If at all possible, the strain against his jeans increased, and he felt his cock twitch in anticipation. He tried to control his breathing, but it was already picking up, and they'd barely done anything yet. Hastily, he grabbed the collar of his t-shirt and lifted it over his head, tossing it to the side.

Haley took a few steps forward until she was right in front of him, and she bit her lip. "Did you lock the door?" she whispered.

He shook his head and didn't even move. He was, in complete honesty, still mesmerized by the fact that his literature teacher was standing in front of him in her underwear. And he'd be lying if he said she didn't have one of the most amazing bodies he'd ever seen. It was practically begging him to fuck her.

Haley's eyes traveled down his chest and abs, appreciating every chiseled part of his body. When she realized he hadn't moved, she looked up at his eyes again, which were definitely not on her face. "Nathan," she whispered. "The door."

His head snapped up, and his eyes were wide for a moment. She'd never called him Nathan before. But, God, did his name sound amazing dripping from her lips. Without a word, he turned around and walked to the door, turning the lock. He wasted no time in walking back over to her and placing his hands on her hips. Nathan had always been a talker, and he wasn't going to change that for her. His mind was so clouded with lust and anticipation that he was pretty sure he couldn't change it if he tried. He pressed his body close to hers and whispered, "I want to fuck you so bad."

"Badly," Haley corrected him with a smirk.

Nathan shook his head. He couldn't believe how much her correcting his wanting to fuck her was turning him on. He usually got annoyed when people corrected him like that. Maybe it was because she was actually going to _let _him do it. As he leaned in, Nathan raised an eyebrow. "I want to fuck you so _badly_." He kissed her just as forcefully as he had before, burying one of his hands in her hair.

Haley allowed a short moan to escape her as they kissed, and she trailed her hands down his chest and over the contours of his abs. Once she reached the top of his jeans, she tugged on his belt for a few seconds before she got it loose. She felt Nathan's lips move to her neck again, and she undid the button on his jeans and tilted her head back to give him better access. Lastly, she lowered the zipper before pushing his jeans down.

Nathan pulled away from her for a second to kick off his shoes and socks and then, finally, his jeans. His lips were on hers again as he walked her backwards before pushing her down onto the wide couch in his office. He lowered himself on top of her and began kissing his way down her chest. He kissed the tops of her breasts as he reached for the clasp of her bra.

She arched her back to provide him access to her bra clasp as she grinded her hips into his. She smiled when she heard him moan. God, she wanted him so badly. She could feel his cock pressing against her heat through the thin material of his boxers, and God she couldn't wait to see him. That had never crossed her mind with any other man, but for some reason she couldn't wait to get him naked. Then again, she had never slept with a man that had half the body of Nathan Scott.

Nathan found the clasp quickly and undid it with one hand. When you slept with as many women as Nathan Scott, it helped to know what you were doing. He lifted his torso off of her as he reached for the front of her bra and pulled it from her breasts, dropping it by the side of the couch. This had never happened to him before, but for a second he just had to stare at her in awe. Her body really was perfect. Once he'd snapped out of his trance, he bent his head down and instantly began working on her breasts.

Haley threw her head back and moaned loudly as his mouth came into contact with her bare breasts. She was already panting, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Her entire body was on fire. It had never felt like this before. And with as good as she felt now, she couldn't imagine what it would feel like when he was actually inside of her. She didn't even realize it, but she was arching her back, pushing herself further into him.

When she moaned for a second time, Nathan felt his cock twitch again. He had never heard such an intoxicatingly sexy sound in his entire life, and he wanted to make her do it over and over again. He pulled his head away from her chest and moved his lips to her ear. "Did you feel that?" he whispered.

Her eyes were still closed, but she nodded her head. Of course she had felt it; his lower half couldn't be pressed any closer to hers.

"That's how bad I want to fuck you," he continued.

And this time, she couldn't even bring herself to correct his grammar. It would put off their union for even longer, and that was the last thing she wanted. She needed him, and she needed him soon.

Nathan smirked at her when she finally opened her eyes. He kissed her again as his hand trailed down over her flat stomach and reached the hem of her panties. He trailed his thumb over the top before slipping his hand inside and feeling her with his fingers. He groaned into her hair as he felt her for the first time, but after a moment he pulled his head up, surprised that her eyes were still open. "You're so wet," he grunted as he continued to run his fingers along her. He kissed her once more before pulling away again. She wasn't talking, and he hated it when women were silent during sex. It always made him feel like they weren't enjoying it. Plus, it was just hot to hear them talk dirty. As he continued to feel her, allowing his fingers to almost slip inside of her, he asked her a question. "Why are you wet?"

When she felt his fingers almost dip inside of her, Haley's eyes snapped shut, and she threw her head back again. Then when she heard him ask her that, she opened her eyes. She gasped when she felt his fingers circling her entrance again, but she knew he was just teasing her.

"Why are you wet?" he asked again, a bit more forcefully.

Haley whimpered when she felt him remove her hand from his panties and almost immediately began pushing her lower half against him, in need of some sort of friction. "Because I want you inside of me," she finally answered. She watched him trail his hand down her stomach again before disappearing into her panties, and she grabbed his arm, pulling his hand out. She saw the questioning look he was sending her and shook her head in response. "Not your fingers," she whispered. "I want your cock inside of me." Just to make herself clear, Haley reached down and slipped her hand inside of his boxers, wrapping her fingers around his rigid member.

That was literally all she had to say. Nathan couldn't take it any longer after that. He hooked his thumbs inside of her panties and dragged them down her smooth legs, tossing them onto the floor with the rest of their clothing. Then he pushed his own boxers down his legs and kicked them off, incredibly thankful that his painfully hard cock was finally free.

Haley gasped when she saw him, but her lips were quickly covered by his. As they kissed, she could feel him pulsating against her thigh and wanted nothing more than for him to finally enter her.

Nathan kissed her hungrily as he used one hand to guide his cock to her entrance, not wasting any time as he quickly and roughly pushed into her.

She simply had to break off the kiss as soon as he entered her, letting out a loud moan. God, she could swear she had never moaned this much during sex before, and it had only just begun.

He stilled once inside of her and closed his eyes, a feeling of absolute euphoria enveloping him as her heat surrounded him. "Fuck," he mumbled as he rested his forehead on her shoulder. "You're so tight, Miss James."

"Haley," she reminded him strongly. She sure as hell did not need any reminders that what they were doing was wrong _while _they were doing it. When he lifted his head and looked at her, she smiled. "Haley."

Nathan nodded, returning the smile and then pressing his lips to hers as he pulled out of her depths for only a second before slamming back inside.

Haley couldn't help but cry out loudly, "Nathan!" the second time he entered her.

"I like it when you call me Nathan," he whispered, dropping a few kisses along her jaw. He let out a low groan as he continued to move inside of her, and again when she began lifting her hips to meet his every thrust.

A couple of seconds later, Haley wrapped both her legs around his waist, still reveling in the feeling of him moving within her as she lifted her head up and left several kisses along his neck.

Her lips really were like heaven to him. He closed his eyes as she peppered kisses across his skin, and at her command he began moving faster.

"Fuck," Haley cried out as she felt him hit a spot that he hadn't before, and God it felt good. She had imagined being with Nathan, and she had known that it would feel good, but this…this was amazing. She had never felt anything like this before, _ever. _

Nathan felt her digging her heels into his back, and he picked up the pace again, feeling himself slip closer and closer towards the edge. Wanting to make sure she came first, he bent his head down and began working on her breasts again. He rested his weight on an elbow while the other hand gripped her thigh.

Haley moaned loudly as she felt herself getting ready to snap. Her entire body began to tingle, and a moment later she closed her eyes tight as she felt herself exploding with pleasure. "Nathan," she moaned as she came.

Nathan thrust into her once more before feeling himself go over the edge. His body stilled as his seed spilled into her, and as he came he said her name over and over again. Not Miss James. Haley.

She was surprised that she loved hearing him call her Haley, and a moment later she felt his body collapse onto hers. She gripped his back, which was slick with sweat, as they both attempted to regain normal breathing.

Neither teacher nor student said a word. They lay there for several minutes, until Nathan finally moved off of her and began getting dressed. Haley soon did the same, and once she had her dress on she walked over to him and turned around.

Nathan smiled and reached for her zipper, this time pulling it up so that her dress would stay on.

Haley closed her eyes briefly before turning around. She placed a hand on his chest. "No one finds out about this," she told him sternly. "No one."

Nathan smirked. As she turned to walk out, he slapped her ass. "Yes ma'am, Miss James."


	4. Chapter 4

**WOW. I literally cannot believe how long it's been since my last update. For those of you who haven't read my other stories, I swear this is not typical behavior. This summer's been totally out of control. I just started working, so that's been taking up a lot of my time. Plus, my brother (who is 17) just got some girl pregnant, so there's definitely some family drama going on. I feel a little bit like I'm living in a soap opera! Once I started writing again, I realized _just _how much I've missed this story & your guys' reviews! Please forgive me, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Part of it has been written for weeks now, and the other half was just completed. Anyways, please read and review, and I promise my next update will come a hell of a lot sooner!**

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><p>"Ready for round two?" Nathan inquired with a strong smirk. He was leaning against the wall outside of Miss James's classroom door with one ankle crossed over the other and his hands tucked deep into his pockets.<p>

Haley halted in her tracks, slowly bringing the key to the door and unlocking it. As she pushed the door open, she shook her head and said quietly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Nathan followed her into the classroom, shutting the door behind him and raising his eyebrow. He watched as she set her stuff down and began shuffling things around on her desk, but she didn't sit down as she normally would. He eyed her carefully as he set his book down on his usual desk and then turned around.

"Would you stop looking at me, please?" Haley requested quietly. She was still staring at her desk as she subconsciously moved things around on it, but she could feel his eyes burning into her. She already felt guilty enough; she didn't need him staring at her like that in the classroom. It hadn't even been forty-eight hours since their little escapade, but she felt horrible about it. She felt horrible about it, and she wanted to do it again.

He furrowed his brow at her question and took a few steps forward until he was standing right in front of her desk. It was the only thing separating them now. "Haley, what are you-"

She cut him off, looking up at him with a dark glare. "Don't call me that. Not here," she told him sternly. "I mean it."

Nathan held both his hands up in a defensive gesture and gave her a small smirk. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, averting her eyes again. "Nothing's wrong, Mr. Scott. And even if there were something wrong with me, it's not your place to ask me about it. So please go sit down."

"I'm sorry," Nathan said with a light chuckle. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me like you're pretending we didn't just fuck the night before last. And honestly, I'm not sure how you could have forgotten, because I thought it was pretty damn good." He accompanied his last sentence with a large smirk and a short shrug.

Haley glanced around the room frantically. God, she was paranoid. "Do _not _say that in this building. I am serious, Nathan."

Nathan cursed inwardly. Just her calling him _Nathan _and not _Mr. Scott _was turning him on. "Don't say what?" he questioned innocently.

She simply glared at him in response, crossing her arms over her chest as well.

"Don't tell me you're actually pretending that the other night didn't happen," Nathan muttered with a scoff.

Haley shook her head and allowed a wry smile to be present in her features. "The other night was a mistake, and believe me when I say that it will not be happening again."

"What, so you didn't enjoy it?" he questioned skeptically. When she turned away, he smirked and made his way around her desk. She flinched when he first touched her, but he ignored it, standing behind her and holding her hips in his hands. "I know you did," he whispered. "In fact, I seem to remember something like 'Faster, Nathan. Fuck me faster.'"

Haley turned around quickly at his words, and her eyes shot daggers at him. "You're a jackass."

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest confidently. "I don't hear you denying anything, _Miss James._ Why is that?"

She sighed heavily and shook her head. "I'm not discussing this with you any longer, Mr. Scott. Like I said, that was a onetime thing, and if you think it's going to happen again you're mistaken."

"Why?" he asked after a moment. "What's so wrong about it? I'm twenty-six, for God's sake. And you're what? Twenty-five, from what I've heard. Why is it wrong?" When she didn't say anything, he thought back to his conversation with Mike a while back and instantly smirked. "Besides, it's not like I'm the first student you've fucked."

She looked at him harshly. "What the hell are you talking about? I had never slept with a student before…before the other night."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's not what everyone else says."

Haley's jaw dropped. "Who said I slept with a student? That didn't happen!" Her eyes were wide. Who the hell would make something like that up? "Who said that?"

"I've heard it from a lot of people, actually," Nathan admitted. And he had. He'd been hearing about it more and more since that day in the quad.

She shook her head slowly as tears formed in her eyes. She couldn't believe that people would say that about her. She honestly hadn't heard anything about it until now. "I would never…I'm not that person," she whispered.

Nathan felt something pull in his heart at the sight of her crying. He didn't know what it was, but he had an incredible urge to hug her. So he did. He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her, surprised when she didn't immediately pull away. He could tell by the way her voice sounded that the rumors weren't true. And she seemed genuinely hurt that people would say such things about her.

God, she felt as if she had ruined everything. People were saying that she'd slept with a student, but that wasn't true…until now. She surprised herself by both staying in his embrace and wrapping her arms around his waist. They simply stood there for a few minutes, but then she pulled away, pushing him slightly. She reached for her eyes and wiped underneath them where a few traitorous tears had fallen. "Oh, my God," she muttered to herself with a shake of her head. "I'm a whore."

"Hey," Nathan said softly, stepping in front of her and placing his fingers under her chin so she would look at him. "Don't do that. You're not a whore."

"Obviously, if people are saying that I slept with students, I must come off as a whore," she mumbled, shaking her head again.

Nathan shook his head. "People are assholes."

"But what does that say about me?" she muttered, looking straight at him now.

"I think it says more about them than it does about you," he replied softly. God, he had no idea why he was comforting her. He had never been that guy for anyone, and he didn't want to start now. But there was something about seeing her cry and hearing her judge herself that just forced him to intervene.

Haley wiped her eyes again. "If I'm not a whore, then why did I sleep with you?"

Nathan dropped his hand from her chin and gave her a small smile. "I like to think it's because of my good looks."

She laughed, shaking her head again. "Thank you," she told him genuinely. "But I…we still can't do that again. I'm sorry that I even let it happen in the first place, but it's wrong. It doesn't matter how old we are or how good it feels. It's just…wrong."

Nathan took a step back and nodded his head. He didn't believe for a second that she wouldn't give into him again, but he wouldn't push her. He had gotten what he'd wanted from her, so he would be okay with not having her again. That's just the way it worked for him. He wasn't even sure he'd ever slept with a single girl more than once. "Whatever you say, Miss James." He winked at her before returning to his seat and waiting for the other students to arrive.

Haley took a moment to compose herself before taking her seat behind her desk and beginning to look over her lesson plans for the day. That wink of his had left her flustered though. And she definitely couldn't concentrate when Nathan Scott was anywhere near her mind.

* * *

><p>It had been a week. It had been exactly one week since his teacher had told him that they couldn't be together again. And he had been fine with that, but now…now he couldn't get her out of his mind. He just couldn't forget. He couldn't forget the delicious taste of her skin or her intoxicating smell or the way it felt to have her legs wrapped around him. He couldn't stop hearing her moan his name, and it was really pissing him off that he wouldn't be able to have her again.<p>

He'd never had this problem before. _Never. _

He could hear his alarm clock blaring and groaned, slapping the snooze button. It was time for his morning run.

But as he sat up, Nathan noticed the tent in his sheets. When he briefly closed his eyes, he realized what it was from. He'd been dreaming about her. He knew because as soon as he closed his eyes, the first picture in his mind was of her. Just Miss James…sitting on the edge of her desk with one leg crossed over the other in that sexy way that she always did.

He sat there for several minutes, sitting up against the headboard and closing his eyes as he tried to calm himself down. He thought of everything…school, basketball, his family…but none of it worked. He kept coming back to Miss James, and he knew he wouldn't be getting anything done today without taking care of his little problem first.

"Goddamn it," he muttered, throwing the sheets off of him and strolling into the adjacent bathroom. The walk was rather uncomfortable, seeing as the throbbing between his legs had only intensified since he'd woken. Once he made it to the bathroom, he pushed his boxers down and turned the shower on, stepping under the spray and groaning when he closed his eyes.

The picture he saw was a very sexy and very naked Haley writhing beneath him as he pumped himself in and out of her. Nathan smirked with his eyes still closed and pressed his left hand firmly against the tiled shower wall. Once his feet were in a good position, he brought his right hand down to his painful erection. As soon as he made contact, his grip on the wall tightened, and his knuckles went white. As he squeezed the base of his cock gently, it was Haley's hand he saw and felt in his mind. Nathan let out a ragged breath, slowly beginning to pump his hand up and down the length of his hardness.

Minutes passed, and God, he was picturing her doing so many different things to him as he stroked himself. He saw her lips devouring his cock, which was something she hadn't done before, but just the thought had his hand moving faster. He let out a deep groan and readjusted his feet on the shower floor as he continued to jack off. "Fuck," he muttered as he pictured their union again.

"Haley," he moaned loudly as he felt himself getting closer to release. His hand sped up again, moving up and down at a frantic pace now, and not two seconds later he felt himself let go. With one more quick stroke of his cock, his warm seed spewed from the tip as he struggled to regain control of his breaths.

God, he was in deep. He wasn't supposed to want her again. Once was supposed to be enough. It _should _be enough.

* * *

><p>Haley looked between the picture she held in her hands and the bottle of vodka sitting on the coffee table in front of her. She wasn't supposed to drink alone; she had made that promise to her friends months ago. But with the framed photo held tight in her grip, that promise slipped farther and farther away. It's not like she even needed the photo with her to picture it. It was burned into her memory, and it always would be. Even though she wished more than anything that she could forget about that part of her life, it simply wasn't an option.<p>

Dropping the photo onto the couch cushion next to her, Haley reached forward and chuckled sardonically. It really was a waste of time to sit here and stare at the bottle any longer when she knew she would give in and open it. She twisted the cap off and took a long swig straight from the bottle.

Nathan took a deep breath as he approached her door, taking his hands out of his pockets and rubbing them together. This was risky, and he wasn't naïve enough to believe otherwise. But he had to do it. He had to know if she wanted him again.

After a few seconds, he knocked on the door.

No one answered.

He knocked again, hoping that she was home.

As soon as his hand left the door, it flew open to reveal a very obviously drunk Haley.

"Nathan," she slurred, accompanying the name with a large smile. "Wait…I meant Mr. Scott. What are you doing here, Mr. Scott?" She furrowed her brow while bringing a bottle up to her mouth and taking a large sip.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. What the hell was she doing? "Miss James, um…I mean, Haley, I…"

"You want to come in?" she guessed, her eyes growing wide. "Oh, my God! Yes! Come in!" she shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside her apartment. She slammed the door shut behind him and took another sip from the bottle.

"Are you…are you okay?" Nathan asked slowly. He glanced around her apartment, noticing how clean it was. The only visible trash was an empty bottle of vodka sitting on the coffee table. "You didn't…did you drink all of that?"

Haley giggled. "No, silly." She paused, thinking for a minute. Then she raised the bottle in her hand and stared at it. "I drank all of that _and _some of this!"

Nathan's eyebrows shot up. This was definitely not what he was expecting when he was on his way over here. "Jesus, Haley," he muttered with a shake of his head. "Give that to me." He stepped towards her and reached for the bottle. He had no idea why she was drinking or if she had ever drank this much before, but he definitely realized that a woman her size didn't need to be drinking such a large amount of alcohol. She was just asking for trouble.

She stepped back and glared at him. "No. This is mine."

"Haley," he said slowly.

She took a swig and continued to glare at him. "This is mine," she repeated as the room started to spin.

Nathan cursed under his breath as he stepped towards her, but then he noticed her starting to sway. He jumped forward and grabbed her just as she was about to fall, but the bottle of vodka smashed as it hit the ground. He lifted her into his arms and began to carry her towards a hallway, hoping that it would lead to her bedroom.

When Haley realized that the bottle had smashed, she began punching Nathan's chest. "Look what you did!" she practically screamed, looking behind him as he carried her through the apartment.

He ignored her, and after a few minutes he located her bedroom. He pushed the door open and waited for her to stop hitting him before laying her down on the bed and pulling the covers up over her petite body. "Get some rest," he said softly, looking into her eyes.

Haley reached up and pulled his head down to hers, kissing him forcefully. When her tongue met his, she moaned and fisted his shirt. "I want you to fuck me again," she whispered after pulling away.

Nathan groaned and shook his head. He knew she was going to pass out soon, so he untangled her arms from his neck and stood up straight. "Get some rest," he repeated before walking to the door. When he glanced back, she was practically already asleep. He shook his head, leaving the room and shutting the door almost all the way. She desperately needed to sleep it off, but he didn't plan on leaving her there alone. So he made his way into the living room and looked at the mess the bottle of alcohol had created.

He shook his head as he began to clean it up. He felt like it was happening all over again.

* * *

><p>"Babe, open up!" Chris shouted after knocking on the door three times. It was Friday night, and it was barely past nine so he knew she wouldn't be asleep. He didn't really feel like going out with all their friends tonight, so he figured it would be a perfect evening to order pizza and watch a movie with his best friend, just like old times. He needed things to return to normal with them as soon as possible because, quite honestly, he was feeling guilty. He felt like the entire time they had been sleeping together he had been taking advantage of her, even though it was her idea in the first place. In a lot of ways, he had done it for her, but he'd be lying if he said the act was completely selfless.<p>

He liked making love to her. God forbid he call it that in front of Haley though. He had made that mistake once and only once, and the look on her face was enough for him to know she didn't think of their time together as making love. She was too nice to say anything, and he knew that. He could read her well though; he had always been able to.

And that's another reason why he was at her door tonight. He wasn't an idiot. He had noticed Haley starting to drink again, and even though she told him it wasn't like before, he knew that she could very easily slip back into her old ways. He couldn't allow that to happen. She was too good for that.

The last thing he had been expecting was a shirtless Nathan to answer the door. He dropped his hands by his sides and furrowed his brow, peering forward to make sure the number on the door was correct. "What the hell are you doing here?" he finally spoke.

Nathan held onto the doorframe so that the entrance was blocked in case this loser tried anything. "I could ask you the same thing, Keller."

Chris stole a glance inside his best friend's apartment. He didn't see her, but nothing seemed out of place. It all looked pretty untouched, actually. Then he surveyed Nathan's appearance once more, adopting a look of disgust. Not only was he shirtless, but the _only _clothing he wore was a pair of short black boxers. "What the hell are you doing with Haley?" he gritted out. "Whatever is going on needs to stop right now."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You can go now. Haley's asleep, and even if she wasn't she doesn't want you, man."

"I'm her best friend," Chris reminded him.

"Yeah, you're her _best friend_," Nathan mocked. "But I've seen the way you look at her, and I'm telling you, man, she's not into you like that. Really, I feel for you. It must suck to be that guy, huh?" He shrugged. "Then again, it's not me, so I really don't give a shit."

"Oh, and you think she wants you?" Chris retorted.

Nathan shook his head and smirked. "You're just trying to convince yourself that she's not fucking anyone else. Which, in case you haven't noticed, is a bullshit lie."

Chris let out a frustrated sigh. "Who the hell do you think you are, Scott?"

Nathan rolled his eyes again. "Someone you're really jealous of right now," he muttered. "But if you'll excuse me, I have things to do, and you need to get the hell away from me. Nice talking to you, Keller," he said sarcastically. He shut the door in his face but did so quietly, seeing as Haley was still passed out in her bedroom. It had been about two hours now, and he knew she wouldn't be awake for a while.

He couldn't bring himself to go to sleep though. Even though he had no idea why she was drinking so much, he was worried about her. He had been checking on her every few minutes, and the rest of the time he stayed in the living room on the couch. He had called Lucas and told him that there was an emergency and he wouldn't make it in to work. His brother had been upset, to say the least. Friday night was the club's busiest night of the week, and they needed all the help they could get. Lucas owed Nathan for the date with Brooke though, so he was able to guilt him into it.

After a while, Nathan got bored. So he left his post on the couch and wandered around the apartment, looking at all the pictures on the walls. Most looked like they were of her family. There was one of her with two older people who he assumed were her parents, a few of her with adults that looked similar enough to be her siblings, and some of her and Chris and the two other women he always saw her hanging out with at the club. He smiled at the last picture he looked at, which he guessed was of her and her brothers. Three rather large guys were holding Haley sideways in their arms as she smiled brightly at the camera. It looked like it was a few years old, but she looked absolutely gorgeous. Nathan loved her smile, but he wasn't sure he had ever seen it as bright as it was in that photo.

He ventured back into the living room, and on his way to the couch he stubbed his toe on the coffee table. He grunted in pain as he held the foot off of the ground. "Goddamn it," he muttered with a shake of his head. As he was limping back to his place on the couch, something caught his attention. A corner of something was sticking out from beneath the couch, and he furrowed his brow as he reached for it. Once it was all the way out, he realized it was a picture frame. He sat down slowly as he turned it over to reveal the photo behind the scratched glass. He gasped at what he saw, and he didn't leave the couch again except to check on Haley.

By the time he heard her footsteps coming down the hallway, the frame had been safely returned to its original hiding place. He glanced at his phone to see what time it was, and as soon as he saw that it was just after four o'clock in the morning he yawned. He still hadn't been to sleep.

Haley dragged herself down the hallway, one foot after the other, with one hand on her lower back and the other pressing against her temple. She didn't really remember getting drunk, but it was obvious she had been. Her head was pounding and felt completely constricted, and she felt like she was going to throw up. Actually, she had thrown up when she had woken up. Then after brushing her teeth and washing her face, she decided she'd better go get something for her hangover. She felt like she could die at any moment, and a part of her actually wished that she would. It hurt that bad.

She almost screamed when she stepped into her living room and saw a man sitting on her couch. Her hands flew to her chest, and her eyes widened. She even jumped. Then the man turned his head, and she recognized him. "What the hell are you doing here? And how do you know where I live?" she questioned in a quiet voice. She knew he would probably follow her, so she continued her trek to the kitchen. She needed this headache to go away.

Nathan stood up when he noticed her still walking and followed her into the kitchen. "You don't remember, do you?"

Haley grabbed a bottle of pills from the cabinet and a bottle of water from the fridge. She downed a few sips of the water and two pills before answering in a confused voice. "Remember what?" Surely she hadn't invited him to her apartment. She would just kill herself if she had done that.

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against her kitchen island. "I came over last night. Don't…be freaked or anything. Nothing happened. Your friend, Brooke, gave me your address."

"Of course she did," Haley mumbled wryly. She put the bottle back in the cabinet and set her water down on the counter before crossing her own arms over her chest.

He sighed in response. "You were really drunk, Haley. Like a bottle and a half of vodka…_drunk._"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure I didn't actually drink _that _much. From what I remember, the bottles weren't full when I opened them."

"Why do you drink so much?" he questioned.

For the first time, Haley noticed that he was wearing only a pair of short black boxers. She vaguely remembered seeing his shoes and clothes folded on the floor by the coffee table as she walked by. "I don't…it's not a big deal, okay? And it's none of your business," she replied. "You shouldn't have stayed here, Nathan."

He sighed again. "I didn't want you to be alone," he admitted quietly. "You were in really bad shape. I'm serious."

She knew he was serious. She knew how she could be when she drank too much, and that's why she usually did it alone. She hadn't anticipated his visit. She let her eyes wander up and down the length of his body a few times, taking a deep breath. She took a few steps forward and uncrossed her arms. She was now directly in front of him, and she placed both her hands on his bare chest. "Were you worried about me?" she asked softly.

Nathan swallowed when her hands on his chest forced him to uncross his arms. Then when he heard her small voice, he closed his eyes briefly. Had he really been worried about her? Was that it? "Yes," he finally answered.

Haley looked up at his face, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. She brought one hand up to his face and used her thumb to trace over the area. "Did you even manage to get any sleep?"

He shook his head slowly. "I'm fine."

"Yeah," Haley whispered, running both her hands down his chest and over his abs now. She desperately wished she could control herself around him, but it really was impossible. His body made it impossible.

Nathan looked down at her. She was looking at him from underneath her eyelashes, and her bottom lip was between her teeth. Goddamn, she looked sexy. He could already feel his body heating up in response to her touch, and her fingers gliding over his abs had his cock hardening. He swore that simply looking at her evoked the dirtiest thoughts in his mind, especially now as she stood in front of him in nothing but tiny little shorts and a tank top.

Haley struggled internally as her head told her that this was all wrong. He was still her student, and she was still his teacher. But her body was a whole different story. It wanted him, and after over a week of not having him, it had begun to crave him in the most intimate ways. Her eyes locked with his as her fingers reached the waistband of his boxers. She moved one hand back up to his chest, and the other fingered the elastic band teasingly. She leaned up onto her toes and left a series of soft kisses along his strong jaw. As she worked, she continued to tease him with her fingers, feeling his erection get stronger and stronger against her stomach by the second. Finally, she pushed her hand inside of his boxers and wrapped her fingers around the rock hard appendage.

Nathan sucked in a breath at the feel of her hand on him. His hands flew to her hips, and he gripped them tight. Their eyes were still locked, and he whispered, "I thought we weren't going to do this again." He accompanied the words with a smirk because he knew that she wanted him again. He knew that she wasn't going to stop.

"You complaining?" she inquired in a low voice. One of her eyebrows was raised, and her hand was motionless on his cock. Before he could answer, she brought her other hand down to his boxers and pulled them all the way down, watching him kick them to the side. He was still silent. "I said…are you complaining?" she repeated slowly, swiping her thumb over the tip of his cock.

Nathan let out a grunt before shaking his head. "Fuck no," he finally answered. His breathing was already heavy, and his eyes were snapped shut. It amazed him what this woman could do to him…the things she could make him feel in a matter of minutes. His need for her far outweighed anything else that may have been on his mind, and now she was the only one there. All he could think about was the pure lust and desire coursing through his veins, and he wanted nothing more than to act on it.

Even Haley's breathing was becoming ragged, and he hadn't even touched her yet. She pumped her hand up and down his shaft a few times before moving her thumb over the head again, eliciting a loud groan from her partner. When she saw him open his eyes, she somehow managed to smirk and bite her lip at the same time. It was official. Her body had a mind of its own, and there was absolutely no stopping it.

Quite suddenly, Nathan realized that he was the only one receiving any attention, and he decided that that definitely needed to change. He was still holding on to Haley's hips, and he quickly turned them around so that her back was being pressed up against the island. His thumbs traced circles on the exposed skin of her stomach, and he unintentionally growled when Haley started to move her hand quicker over his shaft. "Haley," he groaned into her hair a moment later.

"Mhmm," she muttered, leaning up again to leave kisses all over his neck.

"Stop," he whispered weakly, pushing her tank top up a bit farther. He moaned when she didn't follow his command but quickly relocated his train of thought. "Stop. Stop."

Haley's hands immediately released his member, and she looked up at him, confused. What the fuck? Why did he want her to stop? "Is that…do you not…was that not okay?" she stammered. Despite how it may seem, Haley wasn't exactly the most comfortable person when it came to her body and pleasing other people. She was confident in most things but not sex. That had been ruined for her a long time ago.

"No, no, no," Nathan rushed out. "God, no." He gave her a reassuring smile. "That's not what I meant. I just…"

Sure that he was just trying to make her feel better, Haley self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest. "You just what, Nathan?" she asked incredulously.

Nathan smiled again and shook his head. He couldn't believe she actually thought he hadn't been enjoying that. It was pretty clear, he thought. He watched as she crossed her arms, and he gently brought his hands up to cover hers, pulling her arms down so that they were by her sides. He held them there as he spoke, leaning forward so she wouldn't mistake any of his words. "I just…want to come inside of you, not all over your hands." He smirked when he saw the look of realization cross her features.

Haley was both relieved and incredibly turned on by his words. She could feel herself getting wetter and wetter by the second, and God she needed him soon. "Oh, um…okay," she whispered, giving him a small smile in return.

Nathan removed his hands from hers and reached for the hem of her tank top, pulling it up over her head. Then he grabbed her hips and lifted her up so that she was sitting on top of the counter. For the first time tonight, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her roughly, running one hand through her hair as the other expertly unclasped her bra.

Haley wrapped her legs around his waist to bring him closer to her center as she heard him toss her bra onto the tiled kitchen floor. She roughly brushed her tongue against his over and over as both of Nathan's hands cupped her breasts. She had to pull her lips away from his now, throwing her head back and letting out a loud moan.

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Nathan could think of no other words for how sexy his teacher looked right now. He hadn't even begun to fuck her yet, but her head was thrown back in ecstasy, and she was biting her lip. He guessed it was to suppress another moan like the one that had escaped her just a few seconds ago. Her hands were behind her as she arched her back, pushing her breasts further into his hands. Nathan allowed his hands to circle around to her back, and he held on tightly to her shoulder blades as he bent down and began sucking on her chest.

She moaned again, unable to hold it back once she felt his mouth on her. "Holy shit," she breathed, finally sitting up and burying her hands in his hair as he continued to pleasure her.

Nathan lifted his head at her words and smirked. God, they were so in tune right now.

"Nathan, please," she whimpered, running her hands from his hair down to his shoulders. "I can't wait any longer."

He groaned at her words and nodded slightly, reaching for her shorts. He hooked his thumbs inside both those and her panties, and once she lifted her hips for him he pulled them down her smooth legs and dropped them to the floor. Before he knew it, Haley had wrapped her legs around him again and was on the very edge of the island, waiting for him. He took a short moment just to look at her, in all her naked glory, and if she didn't have a body that screamed "fuck me" he didn't know who did. Looking back up at her, his eyes clouded over with lust and he whispered, "You're so sexy." As he brought his lips to hers again, he used one hand to guide his cock to her entrance.

"Oh, fuck, Nathan," Haley cried out when she felt him penetrate her roughly. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lolled her head back as he peppered kisses all over her neck, collarbone, and shoulders. He was still as he did this, but at her encouragement he eventually began to move within her walls.

Fuck. Nathan knew he had missed her body, but this was just insane. Nothing had ever felt this good, and his body was on fire. Being inside of her once more made him realize _just how much _he had really needed to have her again. His body craved hers.

Nathan was already wound up, and before long he was pounding into her relentlessly. No complaints were to be heard though. The only sounds heard in the small kitchen were long moans and the occasional muttered expletive.

Haley's nails were digging into his back now, surely leaving marks behind, but she didn't care. Nathan didn't seem to either. In fact, the action seemed to do nothing other than spur him on. She honestly couldn't help it if she tried. The sexual sensations he was evoking within her were more intense than anything she'd ever experienced.

"Jesus," Haley breathed as he hit a new spot inside of her. Trying to stifle yet another moan, she leaned forward and captured his lips. It was a soft kiss, contradictory to what their lower bodies were currently doing, but it didn't last long. Haley had to break it off, gasping for air and trying to find the right words to convey the immense pleasure she was feeling right now.

Nathan opened his eyes just long enough to connect them with hers before speaking. "Hales, are you…I'm about to…are you…" God, what the hell was wrong with him? He couldn't even form a coherent sentence, just because they were fucking? What a pussy.

She quieted him with a long, passionate kiss and then nodded her head, not being able to hide a small smirk. "Yes," she responded. The word soon transformed into a long moan, and then she was screaming his name as her body erupted with pleasure. Her legs tightened around his waist, and she dug her nails into his back once more.

Nathan came at the exact same time. He had warned her that he was close, and it hadn't been a lie. He felt her nails on his back and groaned, digging his teeth into the skin of her shoulder as he burst within her.

Neither was sure how long they remained in that position, simply because they were too fucking exhausted to move. Eventually, though, Nathan calmed his breathing down and regained his strength enough to pull out of her and pick his boxers up off of the floor. He pulled them on wordlessly.

Haley felt incredibly awkward sitting on her kitchen island naked, now that Nathan had at least a bit of clothing on. Thankfully, he walked out of the room after he had his boxers on, and she quickly hopped down and snuck through the living room and into her bedroom. There was no way she was putting those soaking wet panties back on, so she grabbed her short, silky, black robe off the back of her bathroom door and pulled it on, tying a secure knot in the front. Then she walked back out to the living room, wondering if he'd even still be around, but there he was. He was sitting on the couch, fully dressed and tying his shoes. She watched him silently, leaning her head against the doorframe that led to the hallway.

Nathan finished tying his shoes and stood up, wondering where Haley had run off to. When he turned around, he saw her leaning against the doorframe in her robe and shook his head. "Damn," he muttered as he slowly walked over to her. He leaned his head next to hers and rested one of his hands on her hip. "Anybody ever tell you you're kind of pretty, Haley James?" He reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Blushing profusely, Haley bowed her head.

He smiled, reaching for her chin now and lifting it up so she was looking at him. "Never again, huh?" he teased with a wide smirk. "We know how that one turns out. I'll see you tomorrow, Hales."

"Hales?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, what? We can fuck, but I can't call you Hales?" he asked with both eyebrows raised.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly. "See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Saturday, Nathan," she reminded him when he was halfway to the door.

Nathan opened the door and turned around, another smirk set on his face. "I know."

Haley watched him leave and then took a deep breath. What the hell had she gotten herself into?


	5. Chapter 5

**OH. MY. FUCKING. GOD. Six months. SIX months. I am so fucking sorry, you guys. I've been private messaging some of you, and those particular readers know that life's been crazy for me lately! It's crazy for everyone, I know. A ton of family shit is happening, and I'm a full-time student, plus I'm working 35 hours a week. But I've been writing a lot this past week, just making time when I can, because I really do miss it so fucking much. I've been working on both this and another story which will not be posted until my updates with this are steady. Honestly, I don't even know what to say except I am sorry. And I really, really hope that you all enjoy this chapter. You may not like some things that happen, but understand that this is a story. You're not going to go to Shakespeare and berate him for the suicides of Romeo & Juliet, are you? It's what needed to happen, and that's how things are in my stories as well. I hope I haven't lost too many readers, and thank you so much for those of you who have been waiting patiently for this chapter to come out. Those of you who have been waiting unpatiently...thank you as well! That's probably the category I would have fallen into. I pray to Jesus it won't take this fucking long for the next chapter, but I know it won't because I won't let it happen. Thanks again, and PLEASE let me know what you think of this chapter! I need to know who's still on board with this story. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Turn around."<p>

Haley pulled away from his body slightly. "What? Why?" she panted.

Nathan smirked and shook his head. A part of him was amused by her questions, and the other was frustrated. He was incredibly hard and so ready to take her, and her inquiries were putting that off. "You honestly don't see where I'm going with this?" he asked a second later, his voice sounding a little puffy. He was already slightly out of breath from their foreplay.

"Nathan, I-"

"Come on, Hales," he muttered, the frustrated side of him taking victory over the amused. "Just turn around. It's my favorite position."

They were standing directly in front of her bed, where they had been undressing each other and making out heavily a moment ago. Haley was so ready for him, but she was slightly taken aback by his request. She blushed when she heard him say it was his favorite position and then looked down at the carpet. "Nathan, I don't know."

"What, you don't like it?" he inquired, not even bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice.

Haley sighed heavily, still not looking up at him. "I…I don't know, Nathan. I've never-"

"You've never been fucked from behind?" Nathan asked loudly and incredulously.

She looked up at him sharply. "No, I haven't, and I would appreciate it if you would let me finish my fucking sentences every now and then. Jesus. It's not all about you."

He shook his head, taking a step forward and taking her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I just…I'm kind of shocked. Most people-"

She yanked her hands away from his and glared at him again. "Yeah, well I'm not most people," she retorted. "Despite the rumors, I don't just go around fucking everybody in sight like some kind of an animal. I have a little more respect for myself than that."

Nathan raised an eyebrow but didn't address that subject. He knew that if he did, she'd probably get even more pissed off, and then there would be no fucking at all. That was not okay. He took a deep breath. "I swear, you will love it. Just turn around."

Haley's nerves had just shot up, but she simply glared at him before finally turning her back to face him. All the arguing was putting off their union, and she was really starting to get frustrated. "Just fucking do it," she muttered under her breath.

He chuckled and moved up behind her, pressing his erection against her back. He grabbed her shoulders and gently pushed her down onto the bed. "On your knees, Miss James," he commanded with a wicked smile.

She got on her knees as she was told but not before sending him a harsh glare over her shoulder. "I told you not to call me that when we do this."

Nathan rolled his eyes. It was obvious she'd never done this before. He got on his knees directly behind her on the bed and pushed her forward again, this time with a little more force. "On your hands _and _knees."

Haley, once again, did as she was told. Then she looked back at him and smirked. "You like telling me what to do, don't you?"

"You could say that," he replied, leaning forward and capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Then he allowed her to turn her head back around and quickly positioned himself at her entrance, having had enough of waiting.

"Nathan, how-"

Cutting her off, he roughly pushed himself all the way into her, closing his eyes and groaning at the feeling of being sheathed by her warmth.

A loud cry of pleasure escaped Haley's lips as she was taken by surprise, quite literally. She immediately forgot what she had been wanting to say to Nathan, and her hands fisted the bed sheets tightly.

Nathan covered her body with his and slid his hands underneath her back and up over her stomach. Once he reached her breasts, he began to massage them roughly, still allowing his body to revel in the feeling of being inside of her.

Haley moaned at the feeling of his hands on her chest, but it wasn't enough for her. He was too still, and she needed him to fucking move. Instead of saying anything, she began to rock her body forward and then back again so that his cock left and reentered her body, causing a delicious heat to trickle all over her body.

Nathan smirked at her impatience. Letting go of her breasts, his hands moved to her hips. He leaned down and began peppering kisses up and down her spine as he began to move of his own accord. He inched himself out of her slowly and then slammed back inside, repeating the motion several times as he listened to the reactions he was evoking from his partner.

The first time he slammed himself inside of her, Haley's entire body involuntarily began to shake, and she couldn't even hold herself up. Her arms collapsed until her face was buried in the sheets, but she quickly pushed herself back up and grabbed one of her pillows from the very top of the bed, clutching onto it tightly. She remained leaning down so that her body ramped up to him as she awaited his second penetration. It came within seconds, and Haley bit down onto her pillow in an effort to stifle any screams she may emit.

Nathan kept his eyes on her the entire time, getting even more turned on by her complete and utter vulnerability in this position. The fourth time he entered her, he realized that she had given up on using the pillow to stifle her moans. He heard it first, as his eyes were closed in pleasure.

A piercing scream of Nathan's name escaped Haley's lips, and she hadn't even climaxed yet. God, he wasn't lying when he said that she would love this position. As he continued moving in and out of her, she began to rock back on him again, meeting his thrusts flawlessly. "Oh, fuck," she whimpered, squeezing her pillow as tightly as she could. Her head was turned to the side on it, so none of the noise escaping her was stifled.

My God, she was _whimpering _for him. He was so fucking hot right now, and he knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He was honestly surprised he'd even made it this long, with the way she was moving and the noises she was making. He moved his hands from her hips and reached for her breasts again, desperate for her to come with him.

Haley moaned loudly. Her body was already tired from the position she was in, but she was also so desperate to reach her climax that all she wanted to do was move faster. "Oh, my God," she whispered. Then her voice rose as she clutched the pillow even tighter beneath her. "Nathan, I need more," she cried loudly. "Please, just a little bit harder." She was breathing so heavily now, and she didn't know how long she could keep this up. He hadn't changed his movements either. If anything they had gotten _slower. _"Harder!" she cried even louder.

Nathan had heard her every word, and even though he wanted her to come with him, he loved seeing her writhe beneath him like this. God, she was sexy. And you'd never know that she'd never been fucked in this position before. She was pretty damn awesome at both giving and receiving pleasure on her hands and knees. Nathan leaned forward again, still playing with her breasts, and licked a hot stripe up her spine. "Yes ma'am," he choked out before upping both the pace and intensity of his thrusts for the first time. After only two thrusts, he shook his head and let out a loud groan. "Haley, I'm seriously about to fucking come. I can't wait any longer, baby."

The combination of Nathan's accelerated thrusts and the fact that he had just called her "baby" set off Haley's orgasm, and it was by far the most intense thing she had ever experienced in her life. Her knees buckled, and her toes curled, as she fell onto her stomach, panting more heavily than she ever had in her life.

The piercing scream that came rumbling from Haley as she came set Nathan off even more, and he collapsed on top of her flat figure as he released his seed deep inside of her and groaned her name loudly. Even as he lay directly on top of her, he continued moving himself in and out of her very slowly for a moment or two. Then he simply remained burrowed inside of her as he rested his entire weight on top of her. Without a doubt, he had never come so hard in his entire life.

Haley felt incredibly warm as Nathan's body covered hers, and she took a few deep breaths, trying to regain control of at least that part of her.

Nathan took several minutes to collect himself as well, not even noticing that he was probably crushing her. It didn't matter. His body was exhausted, and he needed to rest. Picking his head up, he swept her hair away from her sweaty back and pressed a kiss in between her shoulder blades. "God, that was amazing," he breathed.

They were silent for a few more minutes before Nathan finally pulled out of her and rolled onto his back. He turned his head and watched as Haley rolled over, too, and he smirked. Her eyes were still closed, and she was still breathing heavily. "You okay?" he asked with a chuckle.

Haley opened her eyes and turned her head to face him, slapping his chest hard. She let out a small laugh, too, though.

Nathan smiled and rolled onto his stomach so that their sides were touching. He brought a hand up and pushed her hair off of her forehead before nuzzling his nose against hers.

She tried to keep her mind off of how intimate that gesture seemed. With someone else, it might be, but not with Nathan. She leaned up and kissed him gently once and then twice.

"So did you like it?" Nathan inquired, unable to hide his smirk.

Haley shrugged and crinkled her nose cutely. "It was alright."

He couldn't help but think how adorable she looked right now, but he quickly pushed that thought out of his head. Women weren't adorable. They were hot. Or sexy. Not adorable. Never adorable. But when he looked at her again, she stuck her tongue out at him, and that very same word entered his mind. He laughed at her playfulness and then raised an eyebrow. "Alright, huh?" he questioned skeptically.

She nodded and shrugged again. "I've had better," she said nonchalantly.

Nathan laughed loudly. "I think you _loved _it, Hales," he said as he started tickling her. "Admit it."

"No!" she shouted as she burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

"Hales," he said slowly. "Just admit it." He laughed as he watched her and continued to tickle her mercilessly.

"Okay, okay," she relented. When he stopped tickling her, she smiled widely. "I loved it."

Nathan raised both his eyebrows. "Well that didn't take much convincing." He smirked at his next words. "Now tell me this, Haley. Am I, in fact, the _biggest _man you've ever been with?" He laughed at the look on her face.

"Are we talking height?" she teased him with a grin.

He rolled his eyes. "No, we're talking about my co-"

Haley kissed him to shut him up and then pulled him on top of her. When she pulled away, she tapped his nose and then ran her finger down his hard chest. "You are very well endowed, Mr. Scott."

He raised an eyebrow. "_Very, _huh?"

She nodded as her hand came into contact with the object of their conversation. "Very."

Nathan inhaled sharply before kissing her roughly, causing her to burst into another fit of giggles.

It had been a few days since Nathan had found Haley drunk at her apartment. Even though she still felt horrible about it and knew that it was wrong, most of Haley's inhibitions had been shed. She had slept with Nathan twice, so there was no point in holding herself back if she wanted to do it again. And they had been going at it quite often. She was still surprised every time Nathan made her giggle, but that actually happened quite often, too. When they were at Haley's apartment, where she knew they wouldn't get caught, she was completely carefree. He made her feel light and comfortable and silly. She'd missed feeling that way.

* * *

><p>"What time?" Haley spoke into the receiver of her cell phone as she stood at her kitchen counter with a pen and a pad of paper. "Okay, yes that's perfect. Alright, I love you, too. See you then. Bye."<p>

Haley hung up the phone, set it down on the counter, and finished writing down the information for Thursday night. Her sister, Quinn, was getting married, and she was the maid of honor. As per her sister's request, the entire wedding party was going to take dancing lessons in preparation for the big day. Haley wasn't completely thrilled about it, but she figured it could be fun, depending on who she was paired up with. She hadn't met the best man yet, but Quinn said that he was very cute and charming. It was clear that her sister was trying to set her up with the guy, but Haley wasn't going to fall for that. She wasn't looking for, nor did she need, a relationship.

Just as she finished writing down the time and location of the first lesson, Haley heard a knock on her door. She glanced at the clock and smiled. Nathan was supposed to be coming over around eight. It was only a quarter after seven, but she figured maybe he was early. Her smile was wide as she opened the door, and even though she was surprised it didn't falter as she realized it was her best friend at the door. "Hey, come on in," she said, allowing him into her apartment. She shut the door behind him. "Where have you been this past week? It kind of feels like you've been avoiding me." She shoved his shoulder lightly.

Chris smiled softly at the gesture and shook his head. "I haven't been avoiding you, gorgeous. I just…I was trying to figure out how to talk to you about something; that's all."

"Okay, what's up?" Haley inquired curiously.

He smiled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I stopped by the other night. On Friday."

"And?"

"And Nathan answered your door," Chris supplied," in his boxers."

Haley crossed her arms over her chest. "Nothing happened, if that's what you're insinuating." It wasn't a total lie. They hadn't done anything that _night. _She hadn't even woken up until four in the morning…and _then _they had fucked.

"So why was he over here while you were asleep?" Chris asked. "And why was he only wearing his boxers?"

Haley realized she was going to have to reveal one of her secrets, and she didn't know which one was safest. She sure as hell didn't want anyone to know about her and Nathan though, so she went with the other one. "Look, I left something at Tric the night before, and he wanted to bring it back to me in person. He got my address from Brooke, and when he got here I had kind of been drinking a little bit."

Chris's eyebrows rose. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't overreact. It wasn't even a lot," she lied. "Anyways, he didn't know what to do, so he waited until I fell asleep, and then I guess he stayed to make sure I was okay. Nothing happened."

"So why was he in his boxers?"

"That, I can't answer. I have no idea," she replied. At least that wasn't a lie.

Chris sighed heavily and shook his head in aggravation. "He probably fucking raped you or something. You realize that, right?"

Haley furrowed her brow. "Chris, why are you acting like this?"

"Like what, Haley?"

"For lack of a better answer, like this is any of your damn business," Haley replied heatedly. She had to protect her secret with Nathan, and this was the only way she knew how. She also realized that since he was coming over soon, she needed to get Chris out of her apartment. They could talk later, but she wasn't going to miss out on a night with Nathan because her best friend was being a pussy.

Chris's eyes widened. "Why are _you _acting like this, Haley? I thought we were best friends. I thought that nothing was ever going to change that, but ever since we broke things off you've been acting strange."

"No, I haven't, Chris," she replied tiredly. "You have. And you really need to figure out what you're going to do about these so-called feelings you have for me, because I cannot deal with that right now, okay? I've got too much shit going on."

"What if I can't figure it out?" he asked quietly. "What if I can't make my feelings go away?"

Haley took a deep breath. That was a scary thought. She didn't want to lose her best friend over this…because she had asked him for a favor a few months ago. That wasn't fair to either of them. "I can't answer that right now, Chris. But I think until you've figured it out, we should stay away from each other."

"You mean I should stay away from you," he mumbled, raising his hands in the air defensively. "I can take a hint, Hales. I'll see you around." He quickly made his way to her door and let himself out, incredibly disappointed with the way that conversation had gone. Not only did Haley not want to see him, but he had a sinking suspicion that she hadn't been telling the truth about both Nathan and her drinking.

About twenty minutes later, Haley heard another knock on her door. She had been blasting her music in the kitchen as she cooked, so she turned it down a little before answering the door. She smiled when she saw that it was Nathan and opened the door to let him in. "Hey," she greeted him after closing the door.

Nathan removed his jacket and flung it onto her couch. He had found that he was incredibly comfortable in Haley's home. He wasn't quite sure if she was okay with that, but she hadn't said anything, so he figured she didn't mind. "Hey," he replied. "You okay? You look a little tense."

Haley nodded, trying not to get too excited that he had noticed something like that about her. It was just Nathan. They were fuck buddies, and just because she was making him dinner before their routine began didn't mean anything, aside from the fact that they needed to keep their energy up if they wanted to satisfy one another fully. "I'm fine. Come on. Dinner's almost ready."

As she walked past him, Nathan slapped her ass. When she looked back, he smirked before winking at her. He followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the island with his arms crossed as she moved effortlessly around the room. "It smells good," he commented. "What are we having?"

"My specialty," she answered vaguely as she stirred the pot in front of her.

"Which is?" Nathan probed.

"Macaroni and cheese."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious? You invited me over for dinner, and you're making macaroni and cheese? How old are you, Miss James?"

Haley turned around while rolling her eyes. "Don't knock it till you try it, _Mr. Scott. _I will have you know that my macaroni and cheese is phenomenal."

"Oh, okay," he replied sarcastically.

"Come here," Haley told him a second later. "I don't know if I put enough cheese in. Taste this."

Nathan smirked and bent his head down, bypassing the spoon she was holding out and going straight for her exposed collarbone. He latched onto the skin there and repeatedly flicked his tongue over the bone. He moaned as he finally pulled away. "It's perfect."

Haley, who was still holding the spoon and trying to keep herself in check, used her free hand to punch him in the stomach. "Stop it. I'm serious. Try this." She lifted the spoon to his mouth and watched him take the bite, watching his face carefully.

After swallowing, Nathan nodded slowly. "I've got to say, that is some pretty damn good macaroni and cheese. Good job, teach."

Haley sighed, putting the spoon back into the pot and turning the stove off. "Why do you constantly have to remind me that you're my student?"

"Oh, did you forget?" he asked sarcastically, leaning against the island again. He turned around and looked at the surface before smirking at her.

She glared at him.

"Yeah, you know what I'm thinking about, don't you?" he said with a loud laugh.

"Shut the fuck up," she said coldly before turning around and searching through the cupboards for some bowls.

Nathan watched her shirt ride up as she reached for the top shelf of the cabinet, and he almost growled when he saw the tattoo on her back. Not only was the tattoo sexy, but when he had fucked her from behind the other day he had had a perfect view of it the entire time. Even though he still had no idea what it represented, it had turned him on to no end. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips. When she stilled, he lifted one hand and let it trace over the letters that were permanently inked on her back. "Tell me about your tattoo," he requested softly.

Haley sighed heavily before turning around and smacking his hands away. "Alright, we need some rules."

He raised an eyebrow. "Rules? What kind of rules?"

"The kind that you, Mr. Scott, are going to follow," she retorted. "Number one: no personal questions. For example, do not ask me about my tattoo, do not ask me why I drink, and do not ask me about any previous relationships. Number two: we fuck. There is no sex, no making love, nothing. So don't call it anything else. Number three: there are absolutely _no _romantic feelings between us, nor will there ever be. Number four: when you're here, I'm Haley, and you're Nathan. When we're at THC, I'm Miss James, and you're Mr. Scott. No crossing those lines. And number five, of course: _nobody _finds out. You got that?"

Nathan raised a hand and sarcastically saluted her. "Yes ma'am. Although technically, I didn't ask about your tattoo. I told you to tell me about it."

She glared at him. "Don't be a smartass." Although the rules were mostly for Nathan, Haley silently admitted to herself that she needed them, too. It's not like she was into him, but she had let herself go too much around him. That light, airy feeling she got around him needed to stop. It didn't put them in a good position.

"Let's eat!" Nathan said loudly, moving around her and getting the bowls down.

* * *

><p>"Haley Bob, this is Clay Evans. Clay, my little sis, Haley." After introducing her sister and her fiancé's best friend, Quinn returned to her fiancé to wait for their dance instructor to arrive.<p>

Haley shook the man's hand and smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you, Clay. I've heard a lot about you."

After openly checking her out, Clay flashed his boyish grin and shook her hand gently. "Ouch, I'm not so sure that's a good thing," he joked.

Haley laughed and shook her head as she let go of his hand. "All good things, I assure you."

"Thank God," he muttered with a laugh. "You ready for this? I hear the waltz is pretty brutal."

"Is that a joke?" Haley asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Clay grinned. "That depends. Are you a good dancer?"

Haley shrugged. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"

"Don't be modest!" Haley's other sister, Taylor, shouted from across the room. "Haley Bob used to teach dance. She can shake her ass like nobody's business."

Haley's eyes widened as she blushed profusely. "Don't listen to Tay."

Clay laughed but could tell she didn't really want to talk about it. "Well, lucky for you, I don't think the waltz requires much ass shaking."

Haley rested her hand on his arm as she laughed. "Thank you. That's very comforting."

They waited and chatted for another few minutes before the instructor arrived and began the lesson. Haley already knew the waltz, and Clay picked it up quickly. They were easily doing the best out of the couples there, and Haley was very impressed with her dance partner. "Where the hell did you learn to dance, Evans?" she asked while laughing at a joke he had made a moment earlier.

"Oh, I'm no dancer, Haley," he replied. "I'm shocked that I haven't stepped on your feet yet." For the hundredth time that night, his eyes traveled up and down the length of her body. "You look incredible, by the way."

Haley was wearing a tight, strapless, white dress that hugged her every curve and stopped around mid-thigh. Blue heels adorned her feet. Her hair was curled, and part of it was pinned back. At his compliment, Haley blushed and smiled. "Thank you. Um, I didn't just dress up like this for the dance lesson. I'm actually meeting some friends of mine at a club after this is over, if you want to come."

Clay shook his head. "No, I wouldn't want to intrude. Besides, I'm sure your boyfriend doesn't want you bringing some other guy to hang out with you at a club."

Haley bit her lip and placed her hand on his bicep again. Something about Clay was bringing out her flirtatious side, and she kind of liked it. "I don't have a boyfriend," she stated huskily. "And I would love for you to come. They won't mind. They usually ditch me halfway through the night anyways."

Clay grinned. "Well, then it would simply be rude of me not to join you, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it would," she agreed, returning his smile.

When the dance lesson was finally over, Clay rode to Tric with Haley. After getting in, they walked around for a while, looking for Brooke and Peyton, but they were nowhere to be found. It was pretty late already, so Haley assumed that they either left or were somewhere in the middle of the dance floor with Jake and Chase.

"Do you want to go get a drink?" Clay offered.

Haley smiled at him and nodded. "I would love to." She linked her arm through his and walked with him to the bar, where Owen was very busy serving customers.

When he finally turned to them and asked what they wanted, Clay said, "A beer, please."

"And for you, Miss James?" Owen asked politely.

"My usual will be fine, Owen," Haley requested with a wink.

Clay turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Your usual? You come here a lot?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah, kind of. My friends really like it here, so this is where we usually come."

When Owen slid their drinks across the counter, Haley thanked him and then took a sip of her vodka.

"Vodka?" Clay questioned, amused. "Vodka is your usual?"

Haley nodded. "What's wrong with that?"

"Not a damn thing," he responded with a grin. "I like a girl that can drink."

"Then you're definitely going to like me," she replied with a wink.

"Oh, yeah?" Clay asked lowly. He turned to fully face her in his bar stool and rested a hand on her exposed thigh.

Haley bit her lip and nodded, looking up at him from underneath her eyelashes. She liked Clay. She was happy she brought him with her to Tric, even though there was a pair of eyes watching her intently from across the room.

They remained at the bar until they had both had a few drinks. Clay's hand had reached for her thigh three or four times, and each time it ventured a little farther up, until he could feel the expensive material of her dress. "Do you want to dance?" he asked loudly over the music, as he moved his hand back down to her knee. "We were doing pretty well earlier."

"Why quit now, right?" Haley replied with a smile.

"Exactly," Clay responded. He stood up from his bar stool and took her hand in his, leading her out onto the dance floor. He placed his lips by her ear and added, "I'm kind of anxious to see that whole ass shaking thing, too."

Haley turned around to face him as they reached a spot she was comfortable with. "Oh, yeah?" she mumbled huskily.

Clay checked her out again. He loved that even though she knew he was doing it, she was not calling any attention to it. She wasn't berating him for looking at and appreciating her body. He studied her curves and then gave her a large smirk. "Most definitely."

"Well I would hate to disappoint such a charming man," Haley whispered, standing on her toes so that her lips reached his ear. She then gave him a smirk of her own and wrapped both of her arms around his neck, pressing her body right up against his. She began moving her body to the beat of the song that was playing behind them, swaying her hips and moving them up and down against his. She felt his hands on her waist and continued moving, closing her eyes as she let the rhythm of the music take her over.

Before long, Haley's ass was pressed up against Clay's jeans, and she was certainly showing him how she could shake it. Turning around momentarily, Haley sent him a smile and said, "What do you think?"

"Um, I…um…" he stammered.

Haley laughed, turning around again and pushing her ass against his body. She stood there as he wrapped his arms around her torso, and she began swaying her hips again. A moment later, her eyes widened as she felt something pressing against her back that was most definitely unfamiliar and very, very hard. "Clay?" she asked, turning her head around and resting it on his shoulder. "Is that…" she trailed off. Even in the incredibly dark room, Haley could see the deep blush covering his entire countenance. "Are you…" she tried again.

"Fuck," her dance partner mumbled. "I am so sorry. I really did not intend for…I'm sorry. Honestly, if you want me to go I can just-"

Haley laughed loudly, cutting off his sentence. "Oh, you're not going anywhere…except maybe back to my apartment."

"Oh, yeah?" he muttered under his breath, now unable to ignore the throbbing between his thighs.

Haley smirked. "Most definitely."

* * *

><p>It was seven thirty in the morning, and Haley was incredibly worn out. It had been a long couple of days, with late nights and early mornings both weighing her down. She was already in her classroom, sitting at her desk as she sorted through the papers that she had forgotten to take home with her the day before. She only had thirty minutes left before class started, but she had arrived at THC just after six o'clock in the morning. If her job had taught her anything, it was that papers didn't grade themselves, and her job required a lot of take-home work.<p>

She was incredibly focused on the words that her student had written, but she was snapped out of it when she heard her classroom door slam shut. A moment later she heard books slam down onto a desk, and she looked up to see Nathan taking his seat in the front of the classroom. She raised an eyebrow at his childish behavior. "Mr. Scott, can I help you?"

He said nothing.

"Let me rephrase the question; is there a reason you have stomped into my classroom, slamming doors and books onto desks? Or was disruption your only intention here today?" Haley spoke very professionally. She knew that this aggravated Nathan, but they were at THC. Rule number four said that when at THC, she was Miss James, and he was Mr. Scott. The lines were not to be crossed, and she sure as hell was not going to break her own damn rule.

Nathan looked up from his desk to glare at her. He still said nothing and just resumed staring at the blank slate that was his desk.

Now she was pissed off. Who the hell did he think he was, storming into her classroom early in the morning and disrupting her work just to shoot her one nasty look? Whatever. She wasn't going to worry about it. She did not have the time. Focusing her eyes back on her desk, she resumed grading.

Class went on as usual. Haley stole a few glances at Nathan during her lecture, but never once did he fix his eyes upon her. What the hell was wrong with him? She shook it off and continued her class. He was supposed to come over tonight, for they had not been together in a few days. She supposed she would find out then just how mad he was.

* * *

><p>"Quinnie, it's really not that big of a deal," Haley responded into the receiver. She was walking around the kitchen with the phone between her ear and shoulder, trying to explain herself to her sister. She wore a pair of short shorts and a small tank top that displayed her midriff as she prepared dinner for herself and Nathan…that is, if he decided to show up.<p>

Quinn's eyes widened as she heard her sister's argument. "Not that big of a deal?" she nearly yelled down the line. "Haley Bob, you knew him for less than twelve hours, and you slept with him! That's not you. Either you're going to tell me what the hell is going on with you, or I'm just going to come investigate myself."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I really have no idea why you're being so dramatic, Quinnie. Yes, I'm usually a little more responsible than that. That doesn't mean that something's wrong. Maybe I just wanted to have fun and be adventurous for a night. Is that so bad?"

"Do you know what fun and adventurous leads to, Hales?" Quinn responded. "Taylor. Is that the kind of life you want?"

Haley sighed heavily. "You know it isn't, Quinn. You know the life that I wanted, and I didn't get it. End of story. I've moved on, and all I'm trying to do is find a way to be okay." Her voice cracked a bit at the end, and she silently berated herself for both saying what she had and letting her emotions become so evident.

Quinn closed her eyes briefly, clutching the phone tightly in one hand. "Haley, I know that you're still dealing with everything, and I am still so sorry for everything you've gone through. I know it's tough, but I also know that you are amazing. You're the strongest person I know, Haley Bob, and you can do it." When she didn't receive a response to those statements, she spoke again, softer this time. "How's your drinking?"

Haley heard a quiet knock on the door and silently thanked God for the interruption, no matter who it was. "Listen, Quinn, I've got to go. Somebody's at the door, but I'll call you later, okay? I love you." She hung up the phone quickly and set it down on the island in the kitchen before quickly walking to the door. As soon as it was open, Nathan burst into her apartment and threw his jacket down on the couch. She furrowed her brow and shut the door behind him, turning around with her arms crossed over her chest. "What the hell is your problem, Nathan?"

"What the hell is _my _problem?" he boomed. "What the hell is _your _problem, Haley?"

"Okay, I seriously have no idea what you're talking about," she responded calmly. "So stop yelling at me like I'm a two-year-old."

Nathan took a deep breath. She was right. She wasn't a child, and there was no need for him to be so loud about this. He took several steps towards her until they were directly face to face. "I want to know your number," he requested sternly.

Her eyebrow rose. "What the hell does that mean? My number?"

"Yes, your number," he confirmed. "As in, how many people have you had sex with?"

Haley's mouth dropped open. "We are not having this conversation. We are not in a relationship, and I don't know if you've forgotten, but we have rules. You are _not _to ask me about my personal life, and that includes past relationships."

"Well apparently, you don't have to even know a person to fuck them. Isn't that your philosophy?" Nathan muttered coldly.

Suddenly it dawned on her. He had seen them leave Tric together that night. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Nathan, that's none of your business."

"None of my business, huh?"

"Yes," she answered strongly. "It's none of your goddamn business who I talk to, who I sleep with, or who I am in a relationship with. Yes, I had sex with someone the other night…someone that wasn't you. Since there are no feelings between us, that doesn't matter, Nathan. Did you listen to a single thing I said the other night?"

"I think I have a right to know who else my fuck buddy is fucking, don't you?" Nathan asked a bit more calmly. "Hmm?"

Haley scoffed. "No, I don't, as a matter of fact. I live my life, and you live yours. So stop."

Nathan shook his head angrily and finally stopped pacing the length of her living room. It had started up again somewhere in the middle of their heated conversation. "Whatever. Let's just eat and get this done."

Haley rolled her eyes. He was such a pain. She walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She gave him a small smile in an effort to calm him down and then slid her hands over his chest. "Now that does not sound like an enthusiastic man," she whispered, now locking her hands behind his neck and licking her lips.

He sighed but lifted his hands and placed them on her jean-clad hips.

"Do you want me or not, Nathan Scott?" she asked huskily, leaning up on her toes and running her tongue along the shell of his ear. Her teeth then gently bit down on his earlobe. She then leaned back a bit and peppered small kisses across his exposed neck. "Baby?"

Nathan was struggling to remain angry now. She had just called him baby, for Christ's sake. He could not resist her after that, not that he would have succeeded beforehand. His eyes closed as her lips continued to gently assault his neck. "Say it again," he mumbled.

Haley smiled. He was cracking. She kissed up and down the line of his jaw and the tiny dimple in his chin. "Only if you answer my question," she replied stubbornly. She let her lips linger mere centimeters away from his, and she almost couldn't resist kissing him. "Do you want me, baby?" she whispered again.

Nathan's eyes opened, and he noticed her lips incredibly close to his own. "Hell yes, I want you." He lifted a hand to her chin and stared at her lips. "Come here," he whispered, finally attaching his lips to hers in the softest of kisses.

Haley threw her head back to allow him access to her neck, and as he bit and sucked at her weak spot, she began to feel incredibly hot. Dinner was completely forgotten. "Nathan," she whispered as he pleasured her neck with his tongue.

"Yeah, baby?" he mumbled against her skin, wondering if she liked to hear him call her that as much as he enjoyed hearing it pass her lips.

She did.

"I want you, too."


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, this is my apology: I am sorry. We all know it's pointless for me to spill my excuses, and it hurts me just as much as it hurts you. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter, even the negative ones. However, for those of you who think that I have made Haley out to be a whore and am disgracing the show, I am sorry for that. Because I do not feel that way at all. Haley is very damaged in this story, and she is dealing with it as best she can. That is all. Also, the comments I've gotten about Brooke/Chase/Lucas...she is dating Chase and has been since the beginning of the story. Her scenes with Lucas were for you guys to put together yourselves, but basically she is trying to have a relationship with both of them. Also, just to clear things up, Haley is 25 and Nathan is 26. THC is a college, not a high school. He is taking classes there to finish his degree. Now that all of that fun stuff is out of the way, thank you again, and I'm glad that some of you enjoyed Chapter 5. PLEASE review this chapter if you have anything to say at all. I'm enjoying writing this story just as much as ever, and spring break is coming up, but I feel like the responses have quickly diminished. Either way, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Haley stuffed a vast amount of popcorn into her mouth in an effort to avoid the questions her friends were shooting at her. It was incredibly obvious that she was dodging their interrogation, but she honestly didn't care. She really wasn't in the mood to talk about all the things she'd been doing lately that "just weren't like her."<p>

What she really needed was a drink.

A strong one.

Unfortunately, that would have to wait until after girls' night. Peyton and Brooke had insisted upon their getting together for an evening of sappy movies, junk food, and girl talk. Normally, Haley would be stoked for this one on one time with her two best friends, but she wasn't ignorant of their motive. Someone, probably Owen, had informed her friends of her leaving the club the other night with a man whom he did not recognize. When Haley had first learned this, she was pissed. She knew Owen was only looking out for her though.

She could feel herself slipping away.

Away into that dark place that she had tried so hard to crawl out of.

"Can we just start the movie?" Haley asked impatiently. All three of the women were sitting on Haley's couch. The television was on, and the DVD was in, but the DVD menu was still on the screen.

Brooke narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "No, we cannot just start the movie. Haley, you need to talk to us."

"We're worried about you," Peyton added. "Seriously. We just want to talk to you."

Haley sighed heavily. "And I don't want to talk about it. How fucking hard is that to comprehend?" she snapped.

"You don't want to talk about what exactly?" Brooke challenged. She didn't care what Haley wanted to do. What she _needed _to do was open up to her and Peyton so that they could help her. "The fact that you broke it off with Chris and aren't even speaking to him anymore?"

Peyton added, "The hot basketball god slash student of yours who is trying to seduce you?"

Brooke crossed her arms over her chest stoically. "Or the fact that you hooked up with some random the other night and didn't even tell us, two of your best friends?"

Haley snatched the popcorn bowl out of her lap and slammed it down on the coffee table, sending kernels flying everywhere. "Fine. You want to talk? We'll talk. Yes, I broke things off with Chris because I've been leaning on him way too much these past few months. We should never have even started what we did, and I am fully aware that it's my fault we did anything. But you both know as well as I do that he got too attached, and until he can detach himself we cannot see each other." She paused, taking a deep breath. "And yes, I do happen to be screwing one of my students. But apparently I'm a regular whore at THC anyways, so who really gives a fuck? He's good in bed, and he makes me forget about whatever shit I have going on in my life. And as for Clay…" She paused again, this time longer. This one would be a bit harder to explain. She wasn't really sure why she had decided to sleep with him, and she agreed with her friends: it wasn't like her. Then again, neither was sleeping with Nathan. "I don't really know what I was thinking, okay? But it happened, and it's done. There's nothing I can do about it now."

Neither Brooke nor Peyton said anything.

"Did that cover all of your questions?" Haley asked smugly.

Brooke sighed loudly, and her eyebrows creased together. "What do you mean, you're a whore at THC?"

Haley shrugged slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Apparently there are rumors going around about me that I've slept with all these different students. It was going on before me and Nathan even did anything."

Peyton's mouth dropped open. "What the hell? How do you know about it?"

"Nathan told me," she replied.

"Haley," Brooke said slowly. "You realize he could have just been saying that to…to get into your pants, right?" She didn't want to be harsh, but it sounded like something a guy would do.

Haley glared at her. "That's not what he was doing," she insisted, uncrossing her arms.

Brooke backed off. "Okay, okay. But, seriously, Hales…you can't keep doing this. You need to tell us what's really going on with you. Is it about the accident? Are you still upset with yourself? Because, Haley-"

"No!" Haley screamed all of a sudden. "It's not about the goddamn accident, okay? And I don't want to talk about that ever again. I told you that. I'm just trying to figure shit out, and this is what's helping me do that. If you two have a problem with that, then you can go screw yourselves. I'm done talking about this."

Brooke and Peyton shared a look and both sighed. They knew why their friend was really upset. She was still feeling guilty. They both wished they knew how to strip her of that guilt so she could go back to being the happy, carefree, conservative Haley they all knew and loved. But it seemed that that Haley was long gone, and neither Peyton nor Brooke was sure she was coming back.

An awkward silence filled the room until Peyton and Brooke heard Haley's whisper.

"You cannot tell anyone about Nathan. I could get in serious trouble."

* * *

><p>"Fuck," Haley breathed after Nathan rolled off of her. Her eyes were wide open, she was panting, and a light coat of sweat adorned her tired body.<p>

Nathan smirked.

Haley continued to stare at the ceiling as she reached over and slapped his stomach. "Stop making that face."

"Ow," Nathan exclaimed. "How the hell did you know I was making a face?"

Haley smiled slightly as she turned to look at him. She rolled onto her belly so she was laying half on top of him and leaned up to kiss him. Her lips connected with his fiercely, and almost immediately she pushed her tongue past his lips and began to massage every inch of his mouth. When the kiss was over, she pulled away. "How is it possible that you get better every time?" she wondered aloud.

He smirked again, once again receiving a slap from Haley. "I'm just that good, Hales." All of a sudden, he flipped her onto her back and pressed his body on top of hers. His hands began roaming her body, resting on her two breasts. He began squeezing and massaging them, smiling at the moans he was eliciting from his partner. "Besides," he whispered in her ear, "I've got to make you forget all about that fucking douchebag from the other night." He pinched one of her nipples as his other hand trailed down her stomach to her center. He ran two of his fingers up and down her folds. She was still wet for him, and just the thought had his cock stirring. "Who are you wet for, Hales?" he whispered, watching her face as it contorted in pleasure. His fingers weren't even inside of her yet, and already she looked like she was about to come. "Me or him?" he inquired.

As his fingers bumped her sensitive clit, Haley's head lolled back, and she moaned loudly. All she wanted was for him to push inside of her. Just a little bit.

"Me or him?" Nathan demanded loudly when she didn't answer. "Who are you wet for?"

Feeling his index finger begin to circle her entrance, Haley's mouth fell open. "You," she whispered weakly.

Nathan smirked, but he wanted more. He bent his head down and took one of her nipples in his mouth, gently and then roughly biting the sensitive area. He soothed it with his tongue and then replaced his mouth with his hand again. "What'd you say?" he asked again.

"You," Haley said louder. "I'm wet for you."

"That's what I thought," Nathan replied. Finally, he pushed two of his fingers inside of her, groaning when he heard her loud cry of pleasure. His cock now stood at full attention, and he could feel himself beginning to throb with desire. He pulled his fingers out and pushed them back in slowly, repeating the motion a few times. Then he increased his speed until he was rapidly moving his fingers in and out of her. "Is that good, baby?" he asked quietly, still watching her.

Haley's back arched slightly, and she nodded her affirmation. "More," she whispered a moment later. "One more."

Nathan pulled his fingers out and brought his ring finger up to join them, now roughly pushing three fingers into her. He repeated his earlier actions of first going slow and then speeding up. When he saw her begin to lose control, he removed his fingers from her completely.

"Nathan, what-"

As Nathan's tongue came into contact with her center, he groaned deeply. He found himself rubbing his lower body against the bed just to maintain some sort of friction for himself. He was so hard. He found her clit first, flicking his tongue over it several times.

"Oh," Haley gasped when she first felt his tongue against her wetness. When he began repeatedly licking her clit, she sang a chorus of, "Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh." When he began sucking on it, her back arched, and she bit her lip to keep from yelling out his name.

Nathan smirked against her center as he listened to her responses. Finally he moved to her entrance. After licking up her folds, he pushed his tongue inside of her, and that was it.

"Nathan!" Haley cried out. "Oh, yeah. God. So good," she muttered as her orgasm hit her full force.

Nathan licked his lips and crawled back up her body, watching her come down from her high. God, she was beautiful. As soon as her eyes opened and she smiled at him, he leaned down and kissed her gently. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and soothingly massaged hers. They kissed for several seconds before he had to pull away, feeling her hand on his member.

Haley slid her hand down Nathan's chest and abs until she reached his cock, which was most definitely as hard as she'd ever seen it before. Her fingers curled around his base, and she began to pump him up and down very slowly. She stared into his eyes as she swiped her thumb over his tip and licked her lips as she began stroking him again. All of a sudden she stopped. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him flat on his back, rolling on top of him. She straddled him, kissing him on the lips once before moving her lips to his neck. She sucked on his collarbone for a few seconds before peppering wet kisses all down his chest and between his abs. When she reached his cock, she looked up at him from underneath her eyelids.

Nathan stared at her with rapture. His mind traveled back to the first time she had looked at him like that, the night they had danced together at Tric.

"What do you want, Nathan?" Haley asked saucily.

This was payback.

Nathan struggled to form words. She knew what he wanted her to do next. "Baby, just-"

"No, no, no," Haley responded with a wicked smile. "You make me talk dirty to you. Now I'm making you talk dirty to me." She teasingly lowered her lips to the inside of his thigh and left a wet kiss there. "What do you want me to do to you, Nathan Scott?"

Groaning, Nathan involuntarily thrust his hips upward. He needed her so bad. "I want you…I want you to…"

Haley waited patiently before raising her eyebrow. "Spit it out, baby. You want me to what?" If she wasn't so focused on how she was going to pleasure him, she would have laughed at how insane she was being.

"Put…put your lips on me…on my cock," Nathan finally said quite loudly. He was so excited right now. She was so fucking sexy.

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Like this?" She leaned down and placed her lips around the tip of his cock, allowing her tongue to sneak out and lick him. Just to tease him a little more, she then removed her mouth and looked up at him again. "Then what?"

Nathan knew what she was doing, but he honestly did not give a fuck. This was so hot. "Suck…suck it," he spat out. "I want you to give me head, baby. I want you to take it all in. Every inch." He groaned. "Please, baby. I can't wait any longer. I'm so fucking hard for you."

Feeling satisfied, Haley smirked and lowered her lips to him once again. She took in a little more of him this time, sucking just slightly. She then backed off and simply ran her tongue up and down his shaft a few times. Her teeth grazed his shaft a few times as she began to take in as much of his cock as she could. It was impossible for her to fit the entirety into her mouth, and she knew that he knew that. But she did damn well, and once he was inside of her mouth she began to move her head back and forth.

Nathan's view was incredible right now. His hands were on the back of her head, holding her lips to his cock, and he did not close his eyes once. He tried to keep himself from thrusting into her mouth, but he failed a couple of times. "Oh, God, baby," he muttered just seconds into it. "Fuck yes. Just like that."

Haley's hands were on his abs, stroking the skin there as she sucked him off.

"Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Right…right there," Nathan kept repeating. Now he couldn't keep his eyes open. The pleasure was too much. His head rolled back, but he kept his hands buried in her hair. "Goddamn it," he grunted. "So fucking good. Harder, baby." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh, shit. Just a little bit more, Hales. Oh, fuck. I'm about to…Haley, I'm…I'm going to-" He was cut off by one of the most intense explosions of pleasure he had ever experienced. He could feel his seed spewing from the tip of his cock. He could also still feel Haley's lips secured around the base of him. His hands moved from her head to the bed sheets, and he clutched them tightly. "Haley!" he yelled loudly. "Yes!"

Haley wiped her lips once she was sure he was finished, and she made her way back up his body. "Wow," she breathed, watching his face as he came down from his high. "That was…" she trailed off.

"So fucking hot," Nathan finished for her, finally opening his eyes. "Come here." He leaned up to kiss her, running his hands down her back and resting them on her ass as he did so. "You are incredibly sexy. Do you know that?" Nathan inquired. He was asking partly because what they had just shared was amazing and partly because he honestly didn't think she knew it.

Haley felt her cheeks heating up. "So are you, Nathan Scott."

"I'm serious," he replied. "This ass," he said, squeezing her ass. He laughed when she squealed. "You have a serious ass, Haley James."

Haley laughed loudly. "Uh huh," she muttered, leaning down and kissing him again. She pecked him a few times, pulling back and resting her forehead against his. "Down, boy."

"Never," Nathan replied sexily as he flipped her onto her back.

* * *

><p>"Oh, my God, Broody," Brooke exclaimed. "This is too much." She placed a hand over her heart as her eyes began to water.<p>

"It is not too much," Lucas insisted. "I wanted you to have something to remind you of me. And I know you love jewelry, so don't tell me that you don't." He smiled.

Brooke let out a laugh. "Oh, who am I kidding? I love jewelry, and I could never have too much of it." She paused, fingering the diamond bracelet that was still in the velvet box. "Seriously, Lucas…this is amazing. You're amazing."

Lucas let out a short sigh. He scooted over on the couch and caressed Brooke's face. "I've never felt like this with anyone else, Brooke. You're stunningly beautiful, you are incredibly funny, and you're so much smarter than you give yourself credit for. How did I find you?"

She smiled genuinely, leaning over to set the velvet box on the coffee table. "Hmm…I believe it was in your club, and I believe I was half drunk at the time," she said with a small laugh, locking her hands behind his neck.

"You know what they say about drunk people," Lucas muttered, placing a hand on her jean-clad thigh.

Brooke furrowed her brow. "They vomit a lot?"

Lucas laughed loudly. "No, babe." He paused, letting the moment get serious again. "They see what they really want, and they go after it."

Brooke raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, rubbing her nose against his. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of his aftershave. "I want you," she whispered.

Smiling wildly, Lucas closed his eyes and kissed her gently. "I want you, too, Brooke," he whispered back.

* * *

><p>Haley was dressed professionally and was currently perched on the edge of her desk, one leg crossed over the other. She had just finished her lecture for the day, and even though approximately half of the class was asleep she had finished strong. "Okay, a few of you turned your papers in to me yesterday, which was wonderful. They have already been graded, but I will wait until I have the rest done to hand them back. Everyone else, I need your papers on my desk before you leave this classroom. And if there are no more questions-"<p>

Nathan raised his hand.

Haley cleared her throat. She felt her cheeks heating up, and her grip on the desk tightened. "Yes, Mr. Scott?"

"What if my paper isn't quite finished yet? You see, I had to work late last night, and I didn't really have time to-"

"That is not my fault, Mr. Scott," Haley interrupted him. "Time must be made for your schoolwork. It is a priority, and if it is not then you shouldn't have enrolled in this class."

Nathan furrowed his brow. "But I can have it for you tomorrow, I swear. It'll just be one day late."

"Did you miss the bit about no late work being accepted in this class or any other class here at THC, Mr. Scott?" Haley asked. "Maybe you did. But right now, you're holding up class, and I'm sure the rest of your classmates would like to be on their way."

"But-"

Haley hopped off the edge of her desk. "Class dismissed," she said loudly, cutting Nathan off.

Haley stood by her desk as the rest of the students handed their papers in and filed out of the room, some stopping to ask her questions or show her things in their papers. What she saw once all of the other students were gone did not shock her. Nathan was still sitting in his seat in the front row. He looked pissed.

Once he was sure everyone had left the room, Nathan stood abruptly. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he said loudly.

Haley's eyes widened as she stole a glance at the wide open classroom door. She took a few steps closer to Nathan and said under her breath, "We'll talk later."

The anger in Nathan's eyes only intensified. "Are you serious?"

She gave him a stern look. "Leave."

Nathan shook his head in disbelief and gathered his books, walking quickly out of the room. He purposely grabbed the door on his way out and slammed it as hard as he could behind him. He was walking through the quad on his way to his car when all of a sudden he heard a voice behind him.

"Tell me you're fucking her."

Knowing immediately that he had to play it cool but struggling not to clench his fists at his sides, Nathan slowly turned around. "Excuse me?" He recognized Mike standing behind him.

"You know, I never really believed all those other guys," Mike commented. "But you…I might believe you."

Nathan furrowed his brow. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Mike chuckled. "You're fucking her, right? Miss James?"

Again, trying to control his anger and keep from revealing their secret, Nathan did the only thing he could think to do. He laughed and shook his head. "Dude, I wish."

* * *

><p>Nathan walked into Haley's apartment later that night. He didn't really feel the need to knock anymore. He had seen her in pretty much every compromising position possible, so what did they have to hide? As soon as he shut the door behind him, his face wrinkled in confusion. "Where's the food?" he called out.<p>

Haley appeared from the hallway wearing nothing but a baby blue satin robe that reached her mid-thigh. "I'm not your slave. You're fully capable of making a meal for yourself."

Nathan sighed heavily, eyeing her body. She had obviously just taken either a shower or a bath. He wasn't sure which, but he really didn't care. He was picturing both. "We need to talk," he finally said, meeting her eyes.

"About?" she questioned, running a hand through her still wet hair. She then crossed her arms over her chest.

Nathan mimicked her stance. "You were a bitch to me earlier."

Haley raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry. What did you just call me?"

"I didn't call you anything," Nathan replied firmly. "I said you were a bitch to me earlier because you were."

Laughing sardonically, Haley uncrossed her arms. "And how exactly was I a bitch?"

Nathan uncrossed his arms as well. "You fucking humiliated me in front of the entire class."

Haley rolled her eyes. "I didn't humiliate you. I simply reacted just as I would have if any other student would have said what you said."

"You wouldn't stop interrupting me," Nathan protested. "And in case you've forgotten, I'm not just any other student."

Haley glared at him. "Yes, you are. That is exactly what you are, Nathan. Don't forget it."

"Really?" Nathan retorted. "Do all of your other students get to put their dicks in you? As far as I know, I'm the only one. So that makes me _different._"

"This is what you're failing to realize," Haley replied. "When we are at THC, you are no different than anyone else in that classroom. You know the rules, Nathan."

He shook his head in anger. "Yeah, I'm familiar with your fucking rules."

"Okay, are you seriously going to be this way all night?" Haley inquired. "Because if so, there are plenty of other things I could be doing. It's been a long day, and I'm not in the mood to deal with your shit."

He was silent.

"If you would prefer, we could just stop this whole thing now," she added.

Nathan looked up slowly. "We're not stopping."

"Fine." Haley crossed her arms again.

Nathan sighed heavily. "You're still a bitch."

Haley rolled her eyes, stepping forward and grabbing the collar of his shirt. "I'm okay with that."

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh, my God," Haley breathed. Her head buried itself into the soft pillow at the head of the bed, and she arched her back in pleasure. "I love you so much." <em>

"_I love you, too," came the husky reply. _

_Haley ran her hands up and down his body as she reveled in all the feelings he was evoking inside of her. God, he felt good. And he was all hers. Forever. _

_With his head buried in her neck, Haley ran her hands through his shaggy hair. "Never leave me, okay?" she whimpered into his ear as he upped the pace of his thrusts. Her hips moved with his, and she tried to hold onto herself, wanting to make this last as long as possible. _

_She could feel his breath on her ear, and a second later he bit down gently on the lobe. He moved a hand to her breast and began to trace circles around the nipple, pinching it ever so slightly. "Never," he whispered into her ear. _

* * *

><p>The lights in Haley's bedroom were all out, but a small grain of moonlight made its way into the room through the open window. Haley lay flat on top of Nathan, and the sheets were pulled up just past both of their waists. Haley pressed herself against him more, reveling in the feeling of his naked chest against hers. She rested her head on his shoulder and traced small circles on his chest with her finger. Her eyes were open, and she could tell that his were, too.<p>

"You're beautiful," Haley said softly.

Nathan brought his arms up to rest on her waist. He chuckled when he heard her words, sliding his hands onto her back and linking them there.

Haley smiled softly at his reaction and did not halt her finger's movements on his chest. "What?"

"You said I'm beautiful," Nathan replied with another short chortle. He watched Haley's finger trace circles on his chest and felt her gentle heart beat against his. He unlocked his hands and began running them up and down her back slowly.

Haley turned her head, resting her chin on his chest so she could look at him. "Why are you laughing?" she asked with a smile on her face. "It's true."

Nathan shook his head. "Whatever you say, Hales."

Feeling the need to prove her point, Haley brought her hand to his face. She traced his eyebrow with her thumb. "Come on," she whispered. "You're beautiful. These eyes…these cheeks…these lips…" She moved her hand accordingly, and once she reached his lips she leaned up and pressed hers against his. She kissed him for a couple of seconds before pulling away. "These big, strong shoulders…this chest…"

"Are you about to say something dirty, Haley James?" Nathan inquired with a smirk as her hand made its way down his chest.

Haley raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "I would never."

"Oh, I'll bet," Nathan replied sarcastically, picking her hand up from his chest with one of his much larger ones. He brought it up to his mouth and planted a kiss on her palm. "If I'm beautiful, then what are you?"

Keeping her eyes trained on him, Haley watched as he kissed each and every one of her fingers. "I don't know," she whispered a few seconds later. And she really didn't.

Nathan looked at her with sad eyes. Carefully and very slowly, he put his hands back on her waist and turned her onto her back. He covered her body with his, running his hands up and down her sides for several seconds before stilling. "You're an angel," he whispered, his lips mere centimeters from hers. He planted a soft kiss on her lips before beginning to point out each and every thing he loved about her body, touching each one of them just as she had. "These big, beautiful, brown eyes…this adorable nose…these irresistibly sexy lips…these perfect breasts…these hands…"

Haley watched him very carefully as he admired different things about her, and she began to feel her cheeks heating up. "Nathan," she whispered once his hands reached her stomach.

"Yeah?" he responded, looking up at her.

"Stop it," she mumbled.

He searched her face. "Why?"

She shook her head disappointedly. "Just-"

"I'm not even going to let you finish that sentence," he interrupted her. "I know what you're thinking, and I don't believe a word of it. You're beautiful, Haley. You should know that you are."

Haley wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly to her, burying her head in his shoulder to hide the tears she could feel brimming at the corners of her eyes. "Never leave me, okay?" she whispered.

Nathan furrowed his brow but continued to hug her tightly. He wasn't really sure what was going on with her right now, but he knew that he wanted to make her feel better. He wanted to make her pain go away. So he did that the only way he knew how, by responding to her request as he pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Never."

* * *

><p>"What the fuck is up with you?" Nathan asked as he walked into his brother's office at Tric.<p>

Lucas turned around in his desk chair, crinkling his brow. "What are you talking about, little brother?"

Nathan shot him a death glare. "Why are you listening to this?" he asked, pointing to the stereo in the corner of the room. "And while we're on the topic, _what _is it?"

"Listen, I'm just trying some new things," Lucas muttered. "No big deal, Nate."

"No, no, no," Nathan responded, walking across the room and turning the volume down on the stereo. "Things got serious when I walked in here and found you watching _Legally Blonde _the other day. That is not okay, Luke. I mean, maybe if you had a chick with you it would be fine. But you were by yourself, dude. What the fuck?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I thought you thought Reese Witherspoon was hot."

"Yeah," his brother responded, rolling his eyes. "Hot as in I would fuck her, not hot as in I'm going to sit down and watch two hours of some chick flick just to look at her legs."

Shaking his head, Lucas shuffled some things around on his desk. His brother would never change. "Look, Brooke suggested some things, okay? And we're trying this thing where we both recommend something for the other so that we can get to know each other better."

"I'm not following," Nathan replied.

Lucas rolled his eyes again. "Like, I watched _Legally Blonde _the other day because she really loves that movie. So now she's reading _Light in August _because I really love that book."

"Wait, wait, wait…Brooke?" Nathan inquired. "Is that the chick you left with the night I had to cover for you?"

Not being able to control himself, Lucas smiled. "Yeah, that's her. We've been hanging out a lot. She's really amazing, Nate. Seriously, I think she could be the one."

Nathan shook his head in disbelief and then smiled at his brother. "Well, clearly she and I need to be introduced. I'm not going to stop making fun of you for watching gay shit, but I'm happy for you, Luke. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you."

Lucas smiled again. "Thanks, little brother. So what's up?"

Nathan began pacing around the room when he realized he still had something incredibly nerve-racking to speak to his brother about. "Okay, so I'm not really sure how to go about this…okay…um…"

"Spit it out, man. I've got a date," Lucas mumbled.

Nathan glared at him before finally taking a seat in front of his desk. "Alright…I think…I think I like my teacher," he said finally.

Lucas furrowed his brow. "Your teacher? As in, a professor at THC?"

Nathan nodded.

"Please tell me you're kidding, Nate," Lucas responded. "What do you mean, you like her? She's a good teacher? You're learning a lot?"

"Not exactly," Nathan said slowly. "But before you freak out on me, Luke, just let me explain, okay?"

"Okay."

Nathan sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "Okay, well the first day of class, there was just something about her. She was…_is…_so sexy, Luke. And when I tried to talk to her, I became this fumbling idiot that had no idea what to say. That's never happened to me before."

Lucas furrowed his brow. "So now you think you have a crush on her?"

"I'm not done," Nathan replied quietly. "Honestly, when I think about how it all started, things are kind of jumbled up. I just can't believe how some of it happened, but at the same time I remember every single detail."

"What happened, Nate?" his brother asked.

Sighing again, Nathan placed his hands in his lap. "She came to the club. And I don't know what possessed me to go talk to her, but I did. And we just…connected. I know it sounds like such a load of shit, but we did. We danced and-"

"Wait, you danced with your professor?" Lucas inquired incredulously.

"I can't wait to hear what you say when you find out what else we did," Nathan muttered under his breath.

"What?" Lucas asked loudly.

Nathan rubbed his temple with his fingers. "Luke, I know how it sounds, alright? But it's more than just sex. She may not know that, but I do."

"Sex…" Lucas's mind was blown right now. "How many fucking times have you had sex with her, Nathan?"

"I…I don't know," his brother replied.

"Oh, my God," Lucas mumbled.

Nathan stood up. "I know it's not right, okay? But I can't help it, and neither can she. And there are all these things I want to know about her, Luke. But she has all these rules about how all we do is fuck and no one can find out and we are not to have any actual feelings for each other. But the other night, at her apartment, I swear she felt it. We were so in sync, Luke."

Lucas grimaced. "I really don't want to hear about your sex life in such great detail, Nate."

Rolling his eyes, Nathan shook his head. "I'm not talking about that. It was just when we were talking, but it was amazing. She makes me feel things I've never felt before."

"Fuck, Nathan," Lucas replied with a shake of his head. "This is not good."

"I realize that, Luke," his brother answered. He shook his head again. "I realize that it's supposed to be this huge sin or whatever, but it doesn't feel like it. When I wake up in the morning, she is the first thing on my mind. And not just in a sexual way…I wake up wondering what she'll wear to class or how she'll fix her hair. And a part of me is really pissed off by all of this because I just have no idea what's going on. But the bigger part just really, really likes her and wants to get to know her better."

"Sounds to me like you've gotten to know her pretty well," Lucas muttered under his breath.

Nathan sighed loudly, running both his hands through his short hair. "You know what I mean." He paused. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I…" Lucas shook his head, pushing himself up from his office chair. He began pacing the room, just as his brother had been doing a few moments ago. "I don't know, Nathan. Part of me wants to tell you that this is wrong…because it is. But the bigger part of me is saying that I've never heard my baby brother talk like this before. All I've ever heard is how much you want to fuck chicks. This is…well, it's refreshing." His lips turned up slightly.

"That's great, Luke, but it still doesn't help me. I know that it's wrong, but eventually the semester will be over, you know?" Nathan said. "And then what? I want to be able to tell her how I feel, but she's…I think she's in a really bad place. She has this drinking thing…not really like an alcoholic, but sort of. And this tattoo that I can't figure out. But if I ask her about them, she freaks out on me. I don't want to scare her away." He paused, squinting his eyes and furrowing his brow. "And…and there was this picture that I saw over at her place a few weeks ago. I came over, and she was drunk. I mean, like, _really _drunk. So I got her into bed and decided to wait for her to wake up, so I could make sure that she was okay. And while I was waiting, I found this picture shoved up under the sofa. And I just…it was so confusing…"

Lucas's brow crinkled just as his brother's had. "Tell me about it, Nate."

Nathan took a seat again and waited for his brother to do the same. "Well, first of all…"

* * *

><p>Peyton Sawyer stalked over to the bar at the unfamiliar nightclub she and her friends were hanging out at. She planted herself firmly in her boyfriend's lap, locking her hands behind his sexy neck. "I love you, Jakey," she slurred, batting her eyelashes at him.<p>

Laughing, Jake kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, too, baby. Even though you're drunk off your ass right now." He glanced beside him at their other friends who were also laughing at the blonde's behavior.

Peyton wasn't quite sure what they were all laughing at, so she just shook her head. Then, as if she had been hit by an epiphany, she gasped. "Oh, my God. Can we do it?" she asked loudly. Her eyes widened as she realized what a great idea it was. "Can we, Jake? Please."

Beside them, Haley and Brooke both giggled uncontrollably, both having had quite a bit to drink as well.

Jake's eyes widened at his girlfriend's request. Although it excited him, they were in public. "Honey, keep your voice down," he whispered, his thumbs rubbing small circles into her waist.

"Why?" she asked loudly. "You don't want to have sex with me?"

Jake glanced to his left and noticed the bartender shooting him an amused look. "Of course I do, babe," he finally answered, giving in to her drunken antics. "Let's go." He smirked as he stood up. His girlfriend grabbed his hand and began dragging him away from the bar.

"Bye!" Peyton called out to her friends. "I'm going to have sex now!"

Haley shook her head in amusement as she watched her other best friend with her boyfriend. Her friends were honestly so lucky to have found the guys that they had. She would never say that she was jealous out loud, but in her head she screamed it each and every day.

"You ready to head out, babe?" Chase inquired, eyeing his girlfriend up and down. They'd been together for almost two years now, and still he didn't know how he had gotten so damn lucky.

Brooke smiled at him and let out a drunken giggle. "Jake isn't the only one getting lucky tonight," she whispered, placing her hand on his chest and running it down his stomach, all the way to his belt buckle. She bit her lip and watched him suck in a breath from under her eyelashes.

Chase took a deep breath as he felt himself becoming very, very turned on. "Alright, we're out of here." He grabbed her hand abruptly and began leading them out of the club.

Haley watched them go and then turned back around, picking up her drink off of the bar and taking a long sip.

Vodka.

God, the burn was good.

"And then there was one," Haley mumbled to herself, tracing the rim of the glass with her index finger.

Haley sat there for about an hour by herself, ordering drink after drink. It was only when she felt her phone vibrating against her leg that she lifted her head off of the bar. She unlocked her phone and read her newest text message. It was from Nathan.

_What are you wearing right now?_

Haley laughed out loud at the message, not only because she was drunk, but also because he was just so bad. The smile stayed on her face as she replied.

_Shut up, you. Where are you?_

She finished off her drink as she waited for his reply, pushing the glass away when she was finished. She declined the bartender's offer for another and, instead, asked for her tab. A couple of seconds later, his reply came.

_I'm at home, waiting for you to tell me I can come over. I want you so bad. You have no idea._

Smirking at his message, Haley paid her tab once the bartender had brought it to her.

_Oh, I think I do. Will you pick me up? I've been drinking._

Haley had done some pretty stupid things in her lifetime, this fling with Nathan included, but driving drunk was not one of them. She knew what that led to, and it was not anything she was interested in.

_Where are you?_

Haley smiled.

_Bailey's._

She knew he would know where to go. Surely he knew where his competition was.

_Leaving my place. Stay sexy._

Haley giggled at his message and set her phone down on the bar. She could not wait for him to get there. It was weird, but he made her feel safe. It was weird because Haley wasn't exactly sure what she needed to be safe from. Either way, though, she knew that there was no one else she'd rather be spending her evening with. Drunk or sober, she and Nathan were sleeping together tonight. She needed that. She needed to know that when she asked him to pick her up, he would be there. While she sat there, a good thirty minutes passed, and she began to grow sad.

She was wrong. He wasn't coming.

Just as Haley was getting ready to order another drink, she felt a tap on her right shoulder. She turned around, and possibly the biggest grin in all of North Carolina spread across her face. She hopped off of her bar stool, stumbling a bit as she placed herself in his arms. "Sorry," she muttered, gripping his biceps for support.

Nathan grabbed her shoulders, holding her steady. "No problem," he responded quietly. "You ready, beautiful?"

She nodded, giving him a small smile as she linked her arm through his. "Let's do this."


	7. Chapter 7

**Apologies, apologies, apologies. Thank you to all of you who continue to support this story, even in the rough and tough times. It will survive, I promise. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's a big one! And before anyone says anything, yes I am aware that this story has a lot of sex in it. There's a reason that it's M-rated, and to be honest I think it's necessary. For example, another story I'm currently working on has only a few scattered sex scenes. However, it's still pretty intense. But please review if you read and like/dislike anything about this chapter! Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story!**

* * *

><p>Even though their texts had indicated otherwise, nothing happened after Nathan picked Haley up at Bailey's. He drove her home and walked her up to her apartment. They lay down on the bed together and kissed a little, but when Haley tried to intensify the moment Nathan backed off. He knew that they would be in the same position even if she wasn't drunk, but after everything he'd seen from her it still felt wrong to take advantage of her high level of intoxication.<p>

And it was bad.

About halfway to her apartment, she had started spouting off about the most random shit in the world.

How she'd always wanted to visit Ireland but had never gotten the chance to go.

How when she was little, she had a stuffed bear named Mr. Waffles.

How even though she told everyone that she hated it, she secretly enjoyed watching the Twilight series.

How she hated the person that she'd become.

The last one was the worst for two reasons. Firstly, Haley was a beautiful person, inside and out. Nathan was not oblivious to it, and the fact that she couldn't see her own beauty really frustrated him. Secondly, he felt as if part of the reason that she hated herself had to do with him. They'd never talked about it, but he was pretty sure casual sex wasn't her thing. Evidence would suggest otherwise, however. First she'd had that fling with Keller, and then she'd randomly slept with some guy that looked way too happy when leading her out of Tric.

After he got her home, she just got sadder. At first she appeared to have returned to normal, kissing him slowly on the bed and then trying to go further. When he stopped it, though, she completely broke down. She didn't say a single word. In fact, she made no sound at all. Silent tears streamed down her face, and Nathan didn't know what to do. In the end he just wrapped his arms around her and held her until she fell asleep. What else was he supposed to do?

* * *

><p>When Haley woke up the next morning, she immediately became aware of Nathan's arms wrapped around her. She was confused when she looked down and saw that they were both fully dressed though. If they hadn't had sex last night, then what had they done?<p>

And why was he still there?

She pushed his arms away from her gently, not wishing to wake him, and looked at his peaceful face. He was snoring softly, and she smiled before rising and making her way to the bathroom. After one look in the mirror, Haley wanted to find a hole to crawl in. Her makeup was smudged down her entire face, and her hair was all knotted. She looked like a complete and utter nightmare.

And then the pain came. In her head, in her stomach, in her calves. It was everywhere.

Haley turned the cold water on and pushed her face towards the sink, splashing herself with the liquid. She then grabbed a wash cloth and scrubbed the makeup off of her face. As she surveyed her outfit in the mirror, she shook her head at herself. No wonder everyone at THC thought she was a whore. She certainly looked the part. And played it, apparently.

She sauntered back to her bedroom to retrieve her cell phone, and after scrolling through her text messages memories of the previous evening came flooding back to her. She could clearly remember revealing personal information about herself, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out just what details she had offered. She only prayed that it was nothing too deep and nothing about the past she had been trying so hard to hide for the past several months.

Things with Nathan were getting too dangerous. It's not that she had feelings for him. Not at all. But the serious and sweet moments between them needed to stop.

Him calling her beautiful. Her calling him beautiful.

That was never part of the plan, and it was certainly not within the boundaries that had been set by her rules. Haley wasn't looking to lose her job or her sanity anytime soon.

But she couldn't deny that things were changing between them. For example, when Nathan told her that she deserved to know that she was beautiful, Haley's heart felt a little bit lighter. Even if she didn't see it, the fact that someone like Nathan did meant a lot. When he said that she was an angel, just for a second she felt as carefree as a child. Hell, even when he had called her a bitch, she had felt more honest-to-god feeling in that moment than in the entirety of the last few months. That had to mean something, right?

She shook her head to rid her brain of those rabid thoughts. None of it meant anything, except that she was getting too carried away and needed to settle down.

Besides, it's not like a man of Nathan Scott's caliber would ever dare stoop to her level.

She was too low.

And with that thought, she was gone. She searched the liquor cabinet in the kitchen and pulled out the last bottle of vodka in the apartment. She knew that he would judge her if he woke up and found her drinking at seven o'clock in the morning, so she left. She drove to an abandoned lot, parked the car, and twisted the cap. As soon as the sharp liquid hit her throat, she began to feel both worse and better about herself at the same time. She viewed herself in a harsher light, but the pain and guilt that resided in her dark heart began to lessen slightly.

After the first couple of sips, Haley took a few shaky breaths and contemplated stopping. After all, it was seven o'clock in the morning, and no one drinks at that hour.

And then she had a thought.

Fuck it.

Fuck her past. Fuck Chris Keller for falling in love with her when all she wanted from him was to feel better for a little while. Fuck Brooke and Peyton for making her feel like shitty person for making a few mistakes. Fuck Clay for fucking her. Hell, fuck Nathan for fucking her. Fuck Nathan for being so goddamn charming and cute all the time. Fuck Nathan for being such a kind and considerate human being.

Fuck Nathan for making her feel.

* * *

><p>When Nathan awoke, he felt around the bed for Haley but was instead met with cold sheets. His eyes opened slowly, and he blinked several times before finally sitting up. He searched the entire apartment for her, and when he didn't find her he tried calling her cell phone. When he called it, he learned that she had left it sitting on the couch in the living room. Great. So now he had no idea where she was and she didn't have her cell phone on her.<p>

He knew it wasn't his job to keep track of her though. She was a grown woman, and she could do it on her own. Maybe she just had plans or some work to finish up at THC.

In the end, Nathan just grabbed his stuff and left her apartment, after scribbling a note and leaving it next to the coffee maker in her kitchen. He set her cell phone next to it as well. Also before he left, he pulled the picture frame out from under her couch and examined it again. For a second time, he was left bewildered after staring at the photo for several minutes. Of course he knew what the picture was of, but why had it been shoved under the couch? Why was she trying to hide it from everyone?

On his way to the club to get a little work in, Nathan passed by an abandoned parking lot. The lines painted on the concrete were faded and barely visible, but there was one thing he did recognize.

Haley's car.

And she wasn't in it.

He pulled over just to make sure. He parked right next to her and tried to open her car doors, but they were locked. When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he saw the almost empty bottle lying in the passenger seat and cursed. He called out for her several times but never received a reply.

"Goddamn it," Nathan muttered, throwing his car door open. Where the fuck was he supposed to look for her at? He didn't know where she hung out, besides THC and Tric. And even if he did, she was probably drunk and had no idea what direction she was going anyways.

Nathan's search was cut short. Not even a mile down the road, he slowed his car when he saw Haley's figure walking on the sidewalk. He rolled the passenger side window down and called out to her. "Haley!"

She didn't look up.

"Haley!"

This time, her head tilted to the left. She made eye contact with him but looked away again very quickly.

"Haley, get in the car," he said loudly.

She glared at him. "No! I hate you!"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, Haley. Either you get in the car or-"

"Or what?" she interrupted him, stopping on the sidewalk and turning to face his vehicle.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Nathan applied the brakes to the car. "Haley, I'm going to say it one more time," he said evenly. "Get in the fucking car."

Something about the tone his voice held scared her, so she got in the car. She sat with her arms crossed over her chest, though, because she wasn't happy.

Nathan turned the car around and began driving back to her apartment. Just a few moments later, a surge of anger shot through him. He slammed his hands into the steering wheel repeatedly. "Goddamn it!" he yelled. "This is ridiculous!"

Haley stared at him, wide-eyed. Her heart was beating rapidly, and he was scaring her, but a couple of seconds later she began to feel tired. By the time they reached her apartment, she was asleep.

* * *

><p>It was almost nightfall when Haley woke up. She recognized her bedroom around her and felt the familiarity of her bed. A moment later, she heard her bedroom door creak open and watched Nathan walk towards her. The first thing she remembered was how he screamed at her on the way back to her apartment. She wasn't scared of him anymore though, and she knew that she had only been afraid because of the alcohol. It was silly to be afraid of Nathan.<p>

She was embarrassed though, and her eyes began to fill with tears. She accepted aspirin and water from Nathan and watched him as he sat on the edge of her bed.

Nathan's lower back was touching Haley's legs as she turned onto her side to get a better look at him. He took the water from her when she was finished and set it down on her nightstand. Then he rested his hand on her upper thigh, looking at her with concerned eyes. "Haley, I'm sorry that I yelled at you," he said quietly, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have. It's just…it's just that seeing you like this upsets me. Seeing _anyone _like this upsets me. I don't like what alcohol does to people."

Haley shook her head. "It's okay, Nathan. You weren't wrong to do that." She paused, lifting her hand and placing it on top of his. "Have you been here all day?"

"Yes," Nathan nodded. "I wasn't about to have you wake up alone. How do you feel?"

Closing her eyes, Haley tried to push back more tears that threatened to escape. "I feel…"

Nathan frowned. "You feel what?"

"Embarrassed," she whispered. "We've only known each other for a few weeks, and here I am getting drunk at every corner. I can't even imagine what you must be thinking about me right now. That's not who I want to be. I used to be stronger than this." Even as the words spilled from her lips, Haley did not know why she was saying them or what was compelling her to do so. She and Nathan weren't supposed to have these kinds of conversations. They weren't supposed to be obligated to tell one another anything.

"Do you want to know what I think about you?" Nathan asked softly. He didn't wait for her to respond. Instead he used his free hand to push her hair out of her face and then caressed her cheek. "I think that you're beautiful. I think that you're strong and smart and insanely good at everything you do. But you've got to stop hiding. You've got to stop running from your past, Haley, or things are just going to continue to get worse."

She blinked several times, still trying to stifle the tears that she knew were going to break through at some point. "I know," she breathed shakily. "I know." And there it was again. The light, calming feeling in Haley's chest that she couldn't even begin to explain. The thought that if Nathan thought she was beautiful, maybe in some ways it was true. The confusion because when her best friends confronted her about letting go of the past, she went off on them. But when Nathan, who had absolutely no idea what her past even consisted of or the demons that she faced, told her that she had to stop running, she understood.

But maybe that was the point.

Maybe it was the fact that Nathan cared, even though he had no idea why she was the way she was. Maybe it was the fact that even though she knew he was dying to ask her about her tattoo and why she drank so much, he hadn't in a while. Maybe that's why it was okay for Nathan to tell her to stop running. She could _choose _whether or not to tell him, and it was nobody else's decision. That felt good.

Haley reached up and caressed Nathan's cheek. "Why are you so sweet to me?" she whispered with a small shake of her head.

Nathan shook his head. "I'm not that sweet," he muttered.

"Yes, you are," she responded. "You stayed here all day, probably bored out of your mind, just so that I wouldn't be alone. And you did the same thing last time. And last…last night…when I tried to have sex with you, you stopped me because I was drunk."

Nathan smirked. "Maybe I just wasn't in the mood."

Haley raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, alright," he conceded. "It didn't feel right."

Haley sighed softly. "Come here," she whispered, beckoning him with her hand. "Don't worry; I'm not going to jump you. I just want you to lie next to me."

Nathan did as she asked and lay next to her on the bed.

Haley moved so she was laying half on top of him. She crossed her arms on his chest and rested her chin on top of them so that she could see him clearly. "Did I, um…tell you…anything…last night?" she wondered aloud.

"Like what?"

She shrugged as best she could. "I don't know. Anything?"

"Well," Nathan started with a smile, "you did tell me about Mr. Waffles. And about Ireland."

Haley squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. "Oh, shit. Wow."

Nathan let out a full laugh, moving his hands to rest on her butt. "You also told me about your affinity for-"

"Affinity? Nice word, Mr. Scott," Haley teased him.

Nathan smiled, giving her ass a squeeze in response. "Quiet, you. Anyways, you told me about how much you _love _the Twilight movies."

"Oh, my God! I do not _love _them. They're mediocre," she responded heatedly.

Nathan had to bite back a laugh at her response. "Come on, Hales. If you admit that you love the Twilight movies, I'll tell you a secret."

Haley scoffed. "Pretty arrogant, huh? What makes you think I want to know a secret of yours?"

Gently turning her onto her back, Nathan placed himself on top of her. "I don't think, baby," he whispered huskily, his lips mere centimeters from hers. "I know."

Haley's heart began beating more rapidly as she felt his warm breath on her lips. He was so sexy. "Tell me," she whispered in response, forgetting all about her end of the bargain.

And so had Nathan. He rested his weight on top of her petite body and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Something real?"

"Something real," Haley repeated.

Nathan searched his mind and his heart for what he wanted to tell her. He had thousands of secrets, some that even his brother didn't know. But he didn't necessarily want to tell her anything from his past and certainly nothing about his parents. He didn't want to ruin the mood, but he wanted to keep the focus on them. And so he did.

"I haven't, um…" Nathan broke eye contact with her, focusing on the intricate stitching of her bed sheets. "I haven't…"

Haley's brow crinkled. "Nathan," she muttered. Moving her forefinger to his chin, she lifted his eyes to hers. Whatever he was about to say was obviously hard for him, and it was beginning to scare her a bit.

He cleared his throat and shook his head, trying to keep his eyes on hers. He didn't know how she would react or if she would even know why it was such a big deal, but he wanted her to know. It was a very indirect way to tell her how he felt about her because he knew that doing so directly would spell disaster. "I, um…I haven't…I haven't slept with anyone else since we…since we started this."

Her brow remained furrowed. "And before we started this, you-"

"I was very friendly," Nathan interrupted her. He sighed. "Look, I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I know that we have rules, and it's not like I did it on purpose. I just-"

Haley cut him off with her lips, pressing them against his hard. Without even thinking about it, she pushed her tongue between his lips and explored his mouth. They kissed for several minutes before she finally broke it off, pulling away to look at him.

Nathan was breathless from the kiss, a feeling he had grown accustomed to as of late. He searched her face for signs of anger or disappointment but found none. "I don't want anyone else," he breathed into her ear before trailing hot kisses from her ear to her jaw.

It was true. He had been thinking about it earlier. He and Haley had had their little arrangement for close to six weeks, and for Nathan to only sleep with one woman for even a week was rare. At first he was puzzled by it, but slowly the truth began to sink in. It was why he got so upset when he saw Haley leave Tric with that guy. Even just watching them dance had gotten his blood boiling. That had never happened to him before, and he was sick of Haley reminding him about her goddamn rules every five seconds.

Nathan's talk with his brother, Lucas, had made him braver. Even though Luke completely disagreed with the principle of what he and Haley were doing, he had been proud of his brother for coming to the realization that he actually _liked _a woman. After that, Nathan realized that his brother was right. This was the first time in his life that he genuinely liked a person of the opposite sex, and it wasn't just about being in bed together.

Not to mention the fact that he had never before called a woman beautiful, and lately he'd been using that word to describe Haley daily.

Haley bit her lip and let out a soft moan as he kissed her exposed skin.

Nathan brought his hand up to her shoulder and pushed the fabric of her shirt away, replacing it with his lips. He kissed across her collarbone, snaking his tongue out every once in a while.

"Nathan," Haley moaned, arching her back slightly. She could feel his arousal pressed against her core, and his lips were like fire on her skin.

"You taste so good," Nathan whispered against her lips before pressing a few soft kisses there.

Haley held onto his broad shoulders as they kissed and wrapped one of her legs around his in an attempt to get closer to him. When his lips left hers, she breathed, "Four."

Nathan's breathing was frantic just from kissing her, and he pulled away to look at her, crinkling his brow. "What?"

"Four," she repeated, blinking at him.

"What's four?" he questioned, still confused.

Haley ran her hands up and down his biceps and licked her lips. "My number."

"Your wh-" Nathan stopped himself, looking at her face closely. "Oh."

"Yeah."

Nathan shook his head slightly. "Wow. So, wait…me, Keller, and douchebag. Who's the fourth?"

Haley stared up at him, unblinking but with tears in her eyes. "My husband."

Nathan didn't say another word. He knew that what she had just revealed to him was hard for her, and he didn't want to make it any more difficult.

They were slow and meticulous in their movements, and as Nathan moved inside of her Haley couldn't help but feel differently than all the other times they'd been together. She felt as if they had just shared one of their most intimate moments yet, and for some godforsaken reason she wasn't feeling guilty about it. It helped that Nathan hadn't reacted to the information she had disclosed, and she was thankful for that.

* * *

><p>A loud banging noise awoke both Nathan and Haley almost simultaneously. Haley let out a loud groan and rolled onto her stomach, pulling most of the bed sheet with her and leaving Nathan exposed and cold.<p>

Nathan struggled to keep his eyes open but did so to squint at the alarm clock on Haley's nightstand. It was almost ten o'clock in the evening. Who would be knocking on Haley's door at this hour? Standing up, he pulled his boxers on and shuffled out to the living room, turning lights on as he went. On the way, he swore to God that if it was Keller or that other fucker, he would beat the living hell out of either one of them.

When he opened the door, though, he became confused. "Can I help you?" he muttered.

Brooke Davis raised an eyebrow and pushed the half-naked man out of her way so that she could enter the apartment. Her boyfriend, Chase Adams, followed her and closed the door. "I don't think so," she replied. "Is Haley here?"

"Wait," Nathan said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Aren't you Brooke?" He had only seen her once, and it had been dark, but he was almost positive it was her.

"Guilty," she muttered.

"Nathan Scott," he introduced himself, extending his hand to both of them.

Chase, wide-eyed and bouncing on his toes, shook the man's hand. "Chase Adams. So nice to meet you, man. I'm a huge fan."

"Thanks," Nathan muttered. "Um, anyways…I've heard that you guys hang out at Tric a lot. You know that's my club. I run it with my brother, _Lucas._" He watched as realization spread over the brunette's face.

"Right," she said tightly. "Anyways, Haley?"

"Speak of the devil," Chase mumbled.

Brooke and Nathan turned around and saw Haley emerging from the hallway. Nathan smirked when he noticed that she was wearing only the white sheet from her bed, her hand delicately holding it above her breasts. "Nathan," she mumbled tiredly. Her eyes were half-closed, so it was no wonder she hadn't recognized her friends yet.

"Haley," Brooke said loudly, walking over to her friend. "Where have you been all day? I've been trying to call you. So has Peyton. We were worried about you."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to worry about me, Brooke?" Haley responded tiredly.

Brooke crossed her arms over her chest. "So what were you doing all day?"

Haley sighed loudly and tried to think of a reasonable explanation for why she hadn't answered her phone all day.

Nathan took a few steps forward and began speaking. "She was with me," he started. "We left our phones here and were out all day. And as you can see, when we got back we weren't really in the position to take any calls."

Brooke turned around and glared at him. "That's weird. I thought I asked Haley," she said snidely.

"That's weird. I thought you were dating my brother," he responded in the same tone.

Brooke's eyes widened. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Nathan saw the shocked and confused looks on all three of their faces, so he backtracked. He didn't want to be responsible for any permanent damage tonight, but he was going to talk to this girl at some point and get the truth about what she was up to. "You're Brooke Daniels, right?"

She knew what he was doing, and she was still pissed off. Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head. "Davis."

"Oh, my mistake," he replied, giving her a tight smile.

Brooke turned back to her friend. "As adorable as this is, we're going to meet Peyton and Jake for a late dinner. Are you in?"

"I'm not really hungry," Haley answered. "But I'm sorry that I missed your calls today. I'll call you in the morning and we'll do lunch tomorrow, okay?"

Hesitating, Brooke turned around and held onto Chase's hand. "Fine. You two have fun," she mumbled.

Once they had left, Haley and Nathan stood in silence for several seconds. "What the hell was that about?" she asked, looking at him.

"What?"

"Brooke Daniels?" she inquired.

Nathan sighed. "Your friend…Brooke Davis or whatever the hell her name is…is dating my brother."

Haley laughed loudly. "What? No, she's not. She's dating Chase. They've been together for like two years."

"Well, maybe she decided to switch it up or something," he replied. "All I know is she's been going out on dates with my brother for the past few weeks. He literally just told me a few days ago how much he liked her."

"Brooke?" Haley asked again. "Are you positive?" Surely Brooke would never do something like that to Chase. Surely, after everything that had gone on in the past, she would know not to do something like that.

Nathan shook his head. "I know you guys have been friends for a long time, but I'm positive. I saw her the night that they went out on their first date because I had to go cover for my brother at Tric. I'm sorry."

Haley shook her head and let out a sharp breath. "Oh, my God."

Nathan furrowed his brow. "What's up?" he asked, taking a few steps forward so he was directly in front of her. "I mean, I understand that you're upset, but you look like you've seen a ghost."

Closing her eyes briefly, Haley shook her head again. "No, I'm fine. I just…can't believe that she would do that to Chase. And she hasn't been acting any differently around him when we hang out. I'm just confused."

"Well if it's any consolation, I think she hates me," Nathan replied with a chuckle.

"Why would that console me?" Haley asked with a small laugh.

He shrugged. "I thought you liked my pain."

She raised an eyebrow. "Think again," she said softly before leaning up and kissing him gently, simultaneously letting the sheet that covered her body fall to the floor.

* * *

><p>"So what was that about?" Chase asked as he and his girlfriend made their way outside after leaving Haley's apartment.<p>

Brooke furrowed her brow, playing dumb. "What was what about, babe?"

He raised an eyebrow and dropped her hand. "Brooke, I'm serious. Why did he say you were dating his brother?"

"Oh, my God. You heard what he said. His brother's dating some other girl named Brooke. He got confused." She took his hand again and laced their fingers together.

"Really, because you looked kind of panicked when he first said it?" Chase replied. "What was that about?"

Brooke stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to face him. "Chase," she whispered, using her free hand to stroke his cheek. She smiled at him. "Babe, I love you. What we have is important to me. I would never jeopardize this. I would never jeopardize us."

Chase sighed and shook his head. "Okay," he finally replied but let go of her hand again. "Let's just go." He turned around and began walking away.

"Chase!" Brooke called after him, walking quickly in her heels to keep up.

When she tried to reach for his hand, he tucked both of his into his pockets.

* * *

><p>"Sweetie, thank goodness you called. I was beginning to think you had gone and eloped or killed yourself or something."<p>

Haley rolled her eyes. "You know, there are so many things wrong with that sentence that I'm not even going to begin to address those issues. However, I will agree that it's been too long since we've last talked. I'm sorry for not calling."

Haley's mother, Lydia James, sighed into the receiver as she started the pot of coffee in front of her. It was nearly noon on a Saturday, but Lydia had just recently woken up. She liked to enjoy her weekends. Her husband, Jimmy, wasn't even awake yet. "Baby, you know we like to make jokes, but we really are worried about you. Your father can't even go an hour without asking about you, but he doesn't want to call. He doesn't want to set you off, and to be honest I can't really blame him. How are you?"

And that's exactly why she never called her parents or went to see them. Hell, they were only about a ten minute car ride away, but Haley hated listening to their condescending voices and having to be asked how she was doing every five seconds. "I'm fine, Mom. Honestly, I'm doing well."

"Really? How's work?" Lydia asked.

"It's good. I've got a lot of really committed students this year, and I think that I'm doing really well." Haley sighed as she went through the rehearsed speech.

Lydia turned on the stove and began getting ingredients out of the refrigerator to make brunch for herself and Jimmy. "And everything else is okay?"

"Yes, Mom. Everything's fine. Thorough this morning, aren't we?" she muttered.

Lydia reached forward and turned on the fan above the stove. Their fire alarm had a bad reputation for going off at the slightest sense of heat. She sighed when she heard her daughter's rhetorical question. "Well I've gotten some calls lately, sweetie, and I just want to make sure that everything-"

"Calls?" Haley interrupted her, stopping in the middle of her living room. She had been pacing around in preparation for the conversation she wanted to have with her mother. "Calls from who?"

"Now is that really important, Haley Bob?" Lydia replied. "What's important is that you're okay, if you really are. And if you're not, you need to talk to me."

Haley shook her head in disappointment. She was pretty sure she knew who her mother had received these calls from, but she wanted to know for sure. "Um, no, Mom. It matters. I want to know who thinks they're so damn important that they can call my mother and tell her about things that they have no idea about."

"You need to calm down," her mother chided. "And I'm not going to rat out your friends for caring about you. They're all worried, just like your father and I are." She paused. "They said you've been drinking again."

"Alright, this conversation is over," Haley muttered. Without hesitation, she hung up the phone and threw it down onto the couch.

All she had wanted was to talk to her mother about Nathan. She thought that maybe she would be realistic about the situation and give her some good advice without judgment, but apparently she was wrong. Her friends had beaten her to her own goddamn mother. She assumed it was Brooke and Peyton, but really it could have been anybody. Hell, it could have been Chris.

_Chris._

Haley quickly showered, dried her hair, threw it up into a short ponytail, and got dressed. She got into her car that Nathan had taken her to pick up the day before. When she had seen the almost empty bottle of vodka in the passenger seat, she had almost broken down again. Nathan had quickly quelled that fire though.

Her hand shook as she knocked on the door, and when her best friend opened the door she couldn't help but hug him. She had never been able to go very long without seeing or talking to him, and she decided that now was the time to make up. She had given him time to get over his feelings for her, and she could only pray that he had done just that. Either way, she figured there was no one that would better understand the things she thought she was feeling right now. She held onto him for several seconds, and she felt his arms around her torso holding her just as tight. When she pulled away, she smiled at him, still holding onto his hands. "I've missed you, Chris."

"I've missed you, too, best friend," Chris replied, returning her smile. "Come on in."

Haley walked in and shut the door behind her. "So first of all, I'm sorry for everything. I mean, I'm not sorry for the things I said to you. But I am sorry that we've been out of touch for so long. It's felt like forever."

"I know what you mean," he replied, walking into the kitchen. He grabbed a beer and twisted the cap off, taking a few long swigs. It was morning, but that was the least of his worries. If any other one of his friends was with him, he would have offered that person a beer, but Haley was the exception. He knew her limits. "How have you been, Hales?" he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Um…okay," she said slowly. "Actually, I need to talk to you about something. And when I first say it, you might want to freak out on me, but please don't. I wouldn't be here if I didn't need you. And I really, really need you."

Chris nodded slowly. "You want to talk to me about Nathan."

Haley's brow furrowed. "How'd you know?"

Chris flashed a wry smile and took another sip of his beer. "Haley, you forget how well I know you. No matter how many times I tried to convince you to like me or love me or whatever the hell it was, I knew it was futile. We've always been best friends, and even though things changed for me, you never got that look in your eyes. You never got the look that you used to have with…" He trailed off, not wanting to upset her more than he already had in the last few weeks.

"Yeah, yeah," Haley responded, closing her eyes briefly.

"Anyways, like I said, I know you." Chris sighed loudly, setting his beer down on the kitchen counter. "And now you have that look."

Haley's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

Chris smiled again. It amused him when she couldn't even recognize what her own feelings were. And in his experience, those were the ones that were the strongest. "You have that look, Hales. And even though you haven't realized it yet or allowed yourself to believe it or whatever, you've got some feelings inside of you or you wouldn't be here. Am I right?"

Haley rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Always so arrogant," she retorted, pushing his shoulder gently. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know what I'm feeling, Chris. And I'm not even sure that I want to know. All I know is that I'm feeling _something_, and that's a lot more than I've felt in a long time. It's scary." She pressed against her forehead with both of her palms. "God, and he's my student! Chris, he's my student. This is so not okay."

"Haley, the semester's going to end," Chris replied. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've done a lot of thinking these past couple of weeks. My feelings towards you haven't changed, but Haley, all I want is for you to be happy. And if this Scott guy makes you feel something good, then you need to let yourself feel that. You deserve that, Haley. After everything you've been through, you deserve to be happy more than anyone I know. Please don't turn your back on love."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Haley interjected. "Please don't use that word. I'm just saying that there's _something. _And I don't know what it is, but I also have no idea what to do about it. Up until the other night, I was sure that it was just sex." She watched him flinch when she said the word and felt bad about being so blunt, but it felt good to talk to him. He wasn't judging her, and it was building her confidence. "But lately, he's just been so sweet. He actually takes care of me."

Chris smiled softly. "I'm not going to say I like the guy, Hales. And if you ever mention you two having sex again, I may vomit."

Haley laughed. "Duly noted."

"Anyways, if he makes you happy, just be happy. I'm glad you felt like you could talk to me about it. And I'm glad that we're back," he said, stepping forward and hugging her again.

Haley smiled and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. "Me, too, best friend. I love you."

"I love you, too, babe."

* * *

><p>Haley tore her lips away from Nathan's and looked at him heatedly before placing her hands on his chest and pushing him onto the bed. "God, you're sexy," she mumbled as she climbed on top of him. Her legs spread, and she rested her weight on her knees as she straddled him. Both of her hands slipped under his shirt to feel his stomach as she attached her lips to his again.<p>

Nathan felt himself growing incredibly hard as he moved his hands to her ass. His tongue wrestled with hers, but he pulled away to allow her to remove his t-shirt. Once it was off, he scooted farther up the bed, pulling her with him. He rested most of his weight against the headboard and squeezed her ass.

Just as Haley began grinding her lower half into his, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. The annoying, preprogrammed ringtone began playing as well, and she was forced to pull away. She reached for her back pocket but was blocked by Nathan's hand on her ass. She slapped his hand.

Nathan smirked as he removed his hand from her ass, quickly reapplying it once she had acquired her phone. "Who is it?" he muttered, eager to get back to their foreplay.

Haley groaned, pressing the ignore button on her iPhone. "My mom," she mumbled.

"You don't need to get it?" he questioned hurriedly.

"Nope," she answered quickly, tossing the phone onto the other side of the bed. "Come here." She leaned down and kissed him again, now freely running her hands up and down his chest and biceps.

Nathan smiled against her lips and moved his hands to the hem of her shirt. He pushed her away gently and pulled her shirt over her head, taking a moment to marvel at the beauty of her breasts tightly confined in her bra. He let out a deep groan as his excitement grew, and he began kissing her again.

A moment later, Haley's phone began ringing again, and she groaned in agitation. She pulled her lips away from Nathan's and reached for the device, immediately hitting the ignore button again. "God," she muttered. "Get off of it." She tossed the phone back down and turned back to Nathan.

"Get off of what?" Nathan muttered.

She shook her head. "My mom's being a crazy, obsessive parent. Nothing you need to worry about."

Nathan furrowed his brow. "Why's she freaking out?"

Haley shrugged. "Someone called her and told her I was drinking again."

"Who?"

"I don't know. If I had to guess, Brooke or Peyton. Maybe Chris." She shrugged again, leaning down towards his lips.

Nathan pulled his head away. "Yeah, did you um…go see him yesterday?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah, we had a nice talk. Why?"

"I thought he was still in love with you or something," Nathan mumbled, annoyed.

Haley rolled her eyes and pressed her body against his, giving him a playful smile. "Are you jealous, baby?"

"Not at all," he muttered in response. "What do I have to be jealous of?"

Haley smirked, running her hand down his chest until she got to his jeans. She undid his belt and pushed her hand inside his boxers, feeling his hardness. "Not a thing," she whispered against his lips before kissing him again.


	8. Chapter 8

**The amount of time it's taken to get this chapter out is honestly embarrassing. But what can I say? Shit happens. I've got a shitload of schoolwork even in the summer, so I've been busy. Also, I've been working on another story, and to be honest as I work on that one EFO just doesn't seem very good to me. I've lost pretty much all of my inspiration for this story as I work on the other one, but I will certainly do my best to finish it with some grace and justice. All I can say is I can't wait to post my next story because in my opinion, it'll be the first truly well written one that I've posted. Anyways, I hope everyone's summer is going swimmingly, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know! Love y'all.**

* * *

><p>Haley sighed loudly as she turned her phone on and saw that she had four new voicemails. She'd just finished her last class of the day and was hanging at school for a bit before heading home to grade the mound of papers on her desk. As she pressed the button to play the first message, she sighed again.<p>

Seriously, why was her mom freaking out so much? Haley realized that she was worried about her drinking, but that's not even what she was pissed about. The fact that one of her friends, whoever it was, felt the need to tell her about what was going on in her personal life made her incredibly angry. It was no one else's place but hers, and that was only if she decided to tell Lydia.

_Hey, baby. I know you've been ignoring my calls the last few days, but I really would love to talk to you. I know your father and I joke, but we love you and we're worried about you and we want to see you. It's been way too long, Haley Bob. I think you know that. And you know you can talk to us about anything at all, sweetie. Call me back so we can talk. Love you._

Haley rolled her eyes as she pressed the delete button and played the next message.

As she waited for it to play, her eyes wandered to the clock on the wall of the classroom. It was nearing five o'clock, and Nathan was supposed to come to her apartment at six. She was going to have to text him and reschedule though. She was way behind on her grading, mostly because of her escapades with her favorite student. She could not allow this thing with Nathan to start affecting her job performance. She just couldn't.

_Haley, answer the phone. We just want to talk to you for five minutes. Why are you doing this? I know you're upset with your friends, but it's not their fault, Haley Bob. They're just worried about you, too. And clearly they have good reason to be. Whatever is going on with you, you need to talk to us. You need to talk to your friends. Answer the phone, Haley._

So she was defending her friends now? And what? More than one of them had talked to her parents? It wouldn't surprise her. Brooke and Peyton usually were a packaged deal. Haley sighed as she played the third voicemail.

_This is ridiculous, baby. I feel like one of those crazy parents that we used to make fun of on the television. I can't not worry about you, Haley. The sooner you realize that, the better. Call me._

Finally, Haley hit play on the last message and began gathering her things, huge stack of papers included.

_Stop blaming yourself, Haley Bob. It wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault. Not the accident, not any of the other stuff…stop feeling so guilty. Honey, the reason-_

Haley hit the delete button in the middle of the message and shook her head in disbelief. So her mother and her friends had talked about that, too. Where would the deceit end?

"This _is_ ridiculous, Mom," Haley muttered to herself as she walked out of the classroom. She neatly placed all of her papers and her grade book and laptop in the passenger seat of her car and hopped in on the other side. On her way home, she composed a text to Nathan.

_I don't think you can come over tonight. Tomorrow?_

She turned the radio on as she kept driving and awaited his response. It never came, and when she turned into her apartment she could clearly see Nathan's car in his usual spot. What the hell?

Stepping out of her vehicle, Haley grabbed all of her things, hoisting the stack of papers out of the passenger seat. It took quite a bit of effort, actually. She fumbled with her keys once she'd made it to the door, but it ended up being unnecessary. Right when she had located the correct key, her apartment door opened. She looked up to see Nathan, fully dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a red button-down dress shirt that was hanging loosely out of his pants. The sleeves were rolled up, and his black tie had been loosened around his neck.

Nathan greeted her with a smile. "Hey." Noticing that she was struggling a bit, he easily removed the stacks from her arms and set them down on the coffee table, where he knew she did all her grading.

Haley walked the rest of the way into the apartment, looking confused all the while. "Nathan, did you not get my message?" She closed the door behind her, not being able to keep her eyes from roaming his body for just a second. He looked good. Then again, didn't he always?

"I did," he confirmed. "But I was already here. I swear I'm not going to distract you. I just wanted to do something nice for you."

"What did you do?" Haley inquired, her lips turning up at the corners.

Nathan chuckled at himself. "Well I wanted to make you dinner, but when I got here I realized that I have no idea how to make dinner. So I kind of had to improvise, but-"

"You made me dinner?" Haley interrupted.

Sighing, Nathan nodded. "You could say that, I guess. I did what I could."

Haley smiled slightly. "Okay. I have time to eat. I just don't have time to…" She sighed, not even being able to vocalize what they usually did after eating. "I have a lot of papers to grade."

"I know," Nathan responded with a nod. "So let's get to it." He held his hand out to her and began leading her to the small dining area that was connected to the kitchen.

As they walked, Haley looked him up and down again. "You look nice, by the way," she commented. When he turned to look at her, she winked at him and laughed.

Nathan smirked. "Thanks. We had a meeting with some new designers earlier, so I wanted to look halfway decent."

"Well I believe that you succeeded," Haley replied. As they made it into the kitchen, Haley dropped his hand and laughed out loud.

"What?" he asked, turning to face her.

She continued laughing but was able to calm herself down enough to get one word out. "Cereal?"

Nathan's face turned red, and he sighed. "I'm sorry. I told you I can't cook. I didn't know what else to do."

Haley walked closer to the table, eyeing the box of Cap'n Crunch. A bottle of red wine sat next to it, along with two bowls and two glasses. As funny as it was and as much as she wanted to make fun of him for it, she also thought that the effort was adorable. She could also tell that he was genuinely embarrassed about not being able to do something nicer for her. Turning back around, she placed herself directly in front of him and placed her hands on his hard chest. She leaned up on her toes and kissed him softly on the lips. "It's perfect," she whispered.

Nathan knew she was just trying to make him feel better, but it was working. When she tried to turn and head back to the table, he tightened his grip on her waist. "You're perfect," he replied huskily, staring into her brown eyes.

There it was again. That damn feeling. Haley had no idea how he did it, but it worked every time. And there was nothing she could do to stop herself. They shouldn't be acting this way or saying these things. They shouldn't be having dinner together when there was not going to be any sex afterwards.

Even as she was telling herself these things, though, Haley was still leaning in to kiss him. For some reason, the fact that they weren't going to sleep together wasn't bothering her. She still wanted him there. She still wanted to have dinner with him.

What the hell was wrong with her? And why wasn't she doing anything to stop all of this?

Haley didn't have the answers to those questions. In fact, she wasn't sure she wanted to know them. But when her lips connected with Nathan's, her heart felt warm. Neither one of them tried to deepen the kiss, and it felt good to just be there with him for a few minutes.

Once the kiss was finally over, Haley smiled at him, once again not being able to help herself. "Let's eat," she said quietly, taking his hand in hers as they walked the few steps to the table.

They ate but not in silence. Instead, they discussed their days. Haley also asked Nathan a few more questions about his brother's relationship with Brooke. She still couldn't believe that Brooke would do something like that, and until her friend confirmed it she wouldn't. She didn't know how to bring it up to Brooke without sounding like she was accusing her though. That would be the tough part. Nathan answered her questions to the best of his ability, but there really wasn't much to tell because he didn't know much to begin with. He knew enough though.

When they were finished eating, Haley stood up and picked her bowl up off of the table, heading to the sink. Nathan quickly followed her with his own and then took hers away from her. "Go grade your papers," he told her quietly. "I know you've got a lot to do. I'll clean things up in here."

Haley was a bit taken aback by his offer, but she accepted it. She did have a lot to do. "Thank you," she responded. "By the way, how did you even get in here?"

"Key under the mat, Hales? Not very safe," Nathan muttered with a playful smile. "Don't worry; I put it back."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, thank you again for the delicious dinner." She laughed before leaning up and kissing his cheek.

"Hey, I worked hard," Nathan responded.

Haley backed away from him slowly, still laughing. "That's the best part." She turned around and exited into the living room, where she took a seat on the couch and began to grade that mound of papers.

Nathan did the dishes, which didn't take long, and then he retraced Haley's footsteps into the living room. Instead of leaving, he took a seat on the opposite side of the room, in the chair that sat next to the bookshelf. "Do you mind if I, um…just sit here and read for a little while?" he finally asked.

Haley looked up, eyebrow raised. "Did you just ask if you could read? Nathan, are you okay?" she asked teasingly.

"Very funny," he muttered with a smile. "Yeah, I'm actually a little bit behind on your current assignment, if you can believe that. I figured we could both catch up at the same time."

Smiling, Haley lowered her eyes back to the paper in front of her. "Read away," she instructed.

As the evening drew on, Nathan and Haley both stayed focused on their individual assignments. Nathan read, and she graded. Every once in a while, their eyes would drift towards each other and they would make eye contact. They would simply smile at one another and return to their work. This went on for a few hours, and finally Haley tossed her pen down with a yawn. She took off her reading glasses and set them next to the papers on the coffee table. There were now two stacks, both of pretty equal height.

Nathan looked up when he heard her set her pen down, and he closed his book. "Ready to call it a night?" he asked, displaying a yawn of his own.

Haley nodded, letting out another yawn. "Are you all caught up?"

"Yeah, I'm actually ahead now," he responded. "I think that's a first."

"Well good," Haley said with a smile. "I think I'm going to go to bed though. We've got an early morning tomorrow." She stood up and ran a hand through her dark hair.

"That we do," he commented, standing up as well. He walked over to her and placed both of his hands on her hips.

Haley wrapped her arms around his neck and stared up at him. "If this is you trying to seduce me, you may want to save it for tomorrow night. I am incredibly tired."

Nathan smirked. "Haley, haven't you figured it out by now? I don't have to try."

Raising an eyebrow, Haley slapped his chest with one hand. "Someone's cocky."

He laughed. "I'm just kidding." He continued to look at her as he felt his nerves begin to kick in. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"What do you mean?" Haley asked, her brow furrowing.

Nathan shook his head. "Nothing. Never mind."

Haley sighed. "I don't really think that's a good idea, Nathan. Do you?"

He shrugged. "I don't know anymore." He paused. "You're probably right. Have a good night, okay?" He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Okay," she whispered, unlocking her arms from his neck and watching him leave.

* * *

><p>"So did you tell Mom about my drinking or was that somebody else?" Haley asked bluntly. She had just walked into the dance hall where she and the rest of the bridal party for her sister's wedding were having their second dance class. As soon as she saw Quinn, the words just spilled out of her, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. She didn't mean for them to come out rude, but they kind of did.<p>

Quinn turned around to face her sister and furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

Haley sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mom won't stop calling me and leaving voicemails because someone called her and told her that I'm drinking again." She kept her voice quiet. This was definitely not something she wanted everyone in the room to know about. The night was going to be bad enough, having to dance with Clay when they had not spoken since sleeping together. Surely that would be a few steps past awkward.

"Haley Bob, you know I wouldn't tell her something like that," Quinn responded, keeping her voice down as well. "I didn't tell her anything about Clay either. I would never. Not that I'm not worried about you, because I am." She paused. "When I asked you if you were drinking again, you hung up on me, Hales. How would I even know?"

Shaking her head, Haley sighed again. "Okay. You're right. I'm sorry."

"Are you?" Quinn asked softly.

"Not really."

Both of Quinn's eyebrows rose. "What does that mean?"

Haley shrugged, looking up when she heard the dance instructor's voice. "I don't know," she muttered before walking away, finding Clay near the edge of the room. "Hey," she said awkwardly.

"Hey," he responded with a grin. "How are you?"

"Fine," Haley answered, getting into the waltz position with him. They began dancing, following the counts of the instructor.

Clay watched her as they danced. "Is this…weird?" he asked.

Haley laughed nervously. "No. No, it's not weird. We met one night and danced together and started talking and we drank and the next thing I knew we were having sex and now we're meeting and dancing again but we're not drinking and I don't have any idea why we had sex in the first place, but no. No, it's not weird." She took a deep breath after she finished and avoided eye contact with him.

He couldn't help himself. Clay laughed loudly once she had finished.

"What the hell is so funny?" Haley muttered, finally looking at him.

"You," Clay replied with a wide smile. "You're cute."

Haley sighed quietly and shook her head. "Please don't say things like that."

"Why?"

She shook her head again. "Just don't."

"Okay," he responded awkwardly.

They didn't say anything else to each other for the remainder of the rehearsal. Haley did not want to speak to him, and Clay was simply scared that if he spoke she would berate him for it. When the dance was over, they made eye contact for a moment before parting ways. Haley said goodbye to her sisters and their dance partners, making her way out to her car and heading home. As she drove, she blindly reached for her phone and dialed Nathan's number.

He answered on the third ring. "Hello, beautiful."

Even though he couldn't see her, Haley blushed. That would never get old, no matter how wrong it was. "Hey, handsome," she responded coolly. "I'm on my way home, so stop by whenever, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you soon," he replied.

"Bye." She hung up her phone and continued driving, eager to get back to her place and see Nathan.

* * *

><p>When Nathan knocked on Haley's door, he heard her shout that he could come in, so he entered the apartment. He shut and locked the door behind him and removed his jacket, tossing it on her couch. He had expected to find her grading or reading, but he didn't see her anywhere. "Hales?" he called out.<p>

"In the bathroom!" he heard her shout.

Nathan furrowed his brow but followed her voice. He headed toward the hallway and down to the bathroom. The door was open so he walked in, and his breath caught in his throat. The lights had been dimmed, and burning candles adorned almost every inch of the countertop. There were bubbles in the bath water, and two glasses of wine sat on the edge of the tub. But although Nathan noticed all of these things, they didn't affect him nearly as much as Haley's presence. She was in the tub, body almost completely covered in bubbles. Her head was resting against one edge of the tub, and her eyes were closed. She looked completely and totally relaxed, and Nathan realized that he had never in his life seen someone so beautiful.

He took a few steps forward so that he was right next to the tub and was about to say her name when her eyes opened.

"Hey," Haley greeted him with a wide smile.

Nathan returned the smile, kneeling next to the tub. "Hey, gorgeous. What are you doing?"

Haley shrugged her shoulders, revealing more of her skin above the water. "Relaxing. How was your day?"

"Pretty lame," Nathan admitted. "I worked all day, and I have to go back later tonight."

"Why?" Haley asked.

Nathan sighed. "My brother has a date. I think you know what that means. Anyways, I said I'd cover for him."

Haley stuck her bottom lip out, choosing to ignore the part about Nathan's brother having a date. She would deal with that later. Tonight was about them. "How long do I have you for?"

Smiling, Nathan leaned forward and shrugged. "A couple of hours." He swiped a finger in the bubbles and tapped her nose, covering it with the suds. "When are you getting out?" He laughed when she crinkled her nose and swiped the suds from her face.

"I think the real question is, when are _you _getting _in_?" Haley responded with a sly smile.

Nathan sighed. "Hales," he whined.

Haley sat up in the tub a bit more and waved her hand in front of her. "Undress," she commanded.

Raising an eyebrow, Nathan stood. "Fine." He took off all of his clothes, smirking as he watched her watch him. "Like what you see, James?" he muttered as he climbed into the large tub.

Haley moaned in response and nodded. When Nathan had leaned back against the opposite end of the tub, she moved herself in front of him, leaning her back against his chest. His arms wrapped securely around her, and she squeezed his thigh in response. She moved her head to the side and rested it on his shoulder so they could make eye contact.

"How was your dance lesson?" Nathan asked, allowing his arms to relax a bit. He rested one on her thigh and the other on her stomach. "Did douchebag try anything?"

Haley shrugged and ran her fingers up and down his thigh. "I mean, he tried to kiss me a couple of times. And he totally got hard when we were dancing, but-"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Nathan interrupted her. "What the hell, Haley? I thought you were done with him."

She couldn't resist. She loved seeing him get all fired up about another guy finding her attractive. It made her feel good. "Nathan, it's not his fault he can't control himself. I mean, he's just so big. I hardly think-"

Once again, Nathan interrupted her. "What did you just say? Are you serious?"

Haley busted out laughing, not being able to contain it any longer.

"What the hell's so goddamn funny?" Nathan muttered, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Nathan, I'm just kidding," Haley mumbled through her laughter. "He didn't try anything."

Nathan sighed loudly and placed his hands back on her body. "That's not fucking funny, Hales. Jesus."

Haley forced herself to stop laughing and twisted herself more so she could look him directly in the eye. "I'm sorry, baby," she said quietly. "You're just so cute when you're jealous."

"I wasn't…I'm not…" Nathan fumbled.

Haley smiled. She stopped moving her hands, resting one on his knee and the other over his on her stomach. "Whatever you say," she mumbled. "It was incredibly awkward though, as I'm sure you can imagine. Plus, he said that I'm cute." She wrinkled her nose up, looking at him.

Nathan smiled. "Well, he's right about that." He leaned his head down and kissed her for the first time that night. It was short, but it was good. When he pulled away, he laughed at the scowl on her face. "What did you say when he said that?"

"Um, I told him not to say things like that to me," Haley responded.

Laughing, Nathan traced circles on her thigh with the hand that rested there. "Poor bastard."

"I thought you hated him. Now you feel bad for him?" Haley questioned.

"Not really," he replied with a shrug. "But he's a poor bastard."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Let's stop talking about him." She placed her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

Nathan moved his head down and placed a lingering kiss on her wet shoulder. "What should we talk about?" he asked softly.

"Whatever you want," Haley responded in a whisper, keeping her eyes closed.

Nathan stared at her unblinkingly, internally battling with himself. There was something he'd been wanting to ask her about since he first saw that picture in her living room, and even more so after she revealed her fourth partner to him. Up until now, he had resisted, simply because he didn't want to inadvertently push her away again. Every time he had asked about her tattoo or her drinking, she had taken it the wrong way. And this was even bigger than those things. How would she react?

"Nathan," Haley muttered, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah, baby?"

Haley smiled slightly. "I can feel you freaking out. You're all tense. What do you want to say?"

Nathan shook his head, trying to relax his body so she would stop reading him. "Nothing. I…it's nothing."

Opening her eyes, Haley turned her head to look at him. She raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't sound like nothing."

He sighed loudly, momentarily looking away from her. "I don't want to upset you."

"You won't. Come on. Now you have to tell me, or I'll be wondering what you wanted to say all evening," Haley said.

"Okay," he reluctantly responded. "But if you don't want to answer, just don't. We'll drop it, okay?"

Haley nodded, feeling slightly nervous now. "Okay."

Nathan picked up her hand and began playing with her fingers, allowing himself to speak but not to fully focus on the words coming out of his mouth. "What you said the other day about…about how many guys you've been with…"

"Shit," Haley muttered, pulling her hand away from him. "Nathan-"

"Listen, you don't have to say anything," he interrupted her. "I just wanted to give it a shot, but it's fine. Forget it."

She laughed sardonically, pulling her body away from his. She scooted to the opposite end of the tub and looked away. "I can't forget about you asking me something like this, Nathan."

Nathan shook his head. "I didn't even ask you anything, Hales. You interrupted me before I got the chance."

"Nathan, I'm not stupid."

"I never said that you were," he responded.

Haley's eyes filled with tears, and instead of looking at him she stared at the tiled wall next to her. "I can't, Nathan. I can't…I can't talk about this right now."

Nathan sighed loudly. He wanted to comfort her, but he was afraid to move. "Why?" he questioned firmly. "Why can't you talk about it? What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything," she cried, bringing her hands up to her eyes and swiping under them to catch her tears.

"Really, Hales?" he questioned skeptically. "Because I think that's a lie. I think you're afraid of me…of letting me in. And for the life of me, I can't understand why." He shook his head. "I'm not going to hurt you."

More tears forced themselves to her eyes and down her face, but Haley tried to stifle her sobs. "Stop," she said loudly, almost yelling.

"Why?" Nathan yelled back, crushing his fist onto the side of the tub. The two glasses of wine shattered and went flying onto the floor, but neither one of them seemed to notice. "Why should I?" he repeated in a quieter tone.

Haley wasn't even able to say anything. She stood up abruptly and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel from the rack and wrapping it around herself. She walked quickly out of the bathroom and into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Nathan followed her quickly, wrapping a towel around his waist. As soon as she slammed the door shut, he opened it and followed her inside. "Stop running away from me!" he yelled at her. "This is so goddamn tiring."

"Then stop trying," Haley muttered, finding a seat on the edge of the bed. "This is never going to be anything more than sex, so stop trying to make it something that it's not. Stop being so nice to me all of the fucking time."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Nathan boomed, walking over to her. He stood directly in front of her and placed a hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "This is a whole hell of a lot more than sex, and you know that. Don't try to downplay it just because you're scared. What the hell are you so goddamn scared of anyway? Huh?"

Haley pushed his hand away from her chin and shook her head. She swiftly stood up and moved around him, holding the towel to her body with one hand.

Nathan turned around and stared at her. He could not for the life of him understand why she was acting this way. He couldn't understand because she wouldn't tell him. He really hadn't foreseen it going this badly. "Alright," he muttered. "I'm going to go." He sighed loudly and headed towards her bedroom door until her voice stopped him.

"Wait," Haley mumbled weakly.

Turning around slowly, Nathan raised his head and looked at her expectantly.

Haley sighed shakily and began walking towards him. While she walked, she secured the towel around her chest so that both her hands could be free. Once she had made it to him, she placed both her hands on his shoulders and pressed her forehead against his chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I don't mean to be so difficult. I just…"

"You just what?" Nathan questioned softly. When she didn't answer, he placed both his hands on her waist and spoke again. "Look at me, Haley."

Several seconds passed, but finally Haley lifted her head and looked at him.

"You just what?" he repeated.

Haley closed her eyes and shook her head, pursing her lips. "I don't want to fuck you up," she finally said, dropping her hands from his shoulders.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nathan asked quietly. "How could you possibly fuck me up?"

"I don't…I don't know, but that's all that's ever happened. And I don't…I don't want to do it to you, too," she responded.

Nathan took a deep breath. They were getting somewhere, and he desperately wanted to make some headway tonight. "When has that happened?" His hands were still on her waist, and his grip instinctively tightened as he asked the question.

Haley moved her hands back to his shoulders and then slid them down to his chest. She bit her lip and blinked her eyes. She didn't even know what she was saying now, but it felt right. "I…with Chris. With Damien."

"How did that happen with Chris?" Nathan inquired. On the inside, he was jumping up and down, but he didn't want to push her too far.

"Because we slept together for months, and he started thinking he was in love with me. He still thinks that," Haley muttered.

"How do you know he only thinks that and doesn't really feel it?" Nathan asked.

Haley smiled wryly. "Chris is not in love with me," she whispered. "Trust me."

Nathan had seen the way Chris looked at Haley. The guy was in love with her. But that wasn't the point of their current conversation, so he decided not to press the argument. "What about…what about Damien?" he asked carefully. It was the first time he'd heard the name, but things were starting to come together. Her tattoo. DS. Could the D be Damien?

All of a sudden, Haley pushed herself away from him and shook her head violently. "I can't. I'm sorry."

"Hey," Nathan said softly, stepping towards her. He wrapped both his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything else, okay?"

Haley nodded against his skin and let him hold her, feeling very tired all of a sudden. "Nathan, would you be totally pissed if I just wanted to go to sleep?" she asked once they had pulled apart.

Nathan smiled and shook his head. "No. But this time, I'm staying. No arguments."

"Fine," Haley responded. She moved past him and back to the bathroom, where she drained the tub and blew out all of the candles. While she worked, she felt Nathan's presence enter the room, and when she turned around he was cleaning up the spilled wine and glass off of the tiled floor. Once she was done with the candles, she took a seat on the edge of the tub and watched him.

Once all of the wine and glass was cleaned up, Nathan emptied it into the trash in the kitchen and then returned to the bathroom. Haley was staring at him intensely, and he walked over to her, placing his hands on her small shoulders. "What?" he inquired softly.

"Just…thank you for being here," Haley responded. "You're amazing."

Nathan smiled and turned away, holding his hand out to her. "Alright, sleepy. Let's get to bed."

Haley smiled slightly and accepted his hand, following him into the bedroom.

They got settled in Haley's bed, and just as they turned the light out Nathan sat up and sighed. "Fuck."

"What?" Haley inquired, opening her eyes.

"I forgot I'm supposed to cover for Luke tonight. I'm going to have to leave in a couple of hours," he muttered.

Haley pouted. "Or…you could tell him you're not coming in. Ordinarily I would be against a last minute cancellation, but he's going out with Brooke. The only reason they even have to go out so late is because of Chase. That's ridiculous."

Nathan shrugged. "I guess so. I just feel bad. He works almost every night. I get the days, when it's all paperwork and detail cleaning. No customers."

"It's up to you, babe," Haley replied. "If you're going to feel guilty, just go. I'll just miss you."

Nathan stared at her for a few minutes, watching her resettle herself in the bed. She closed her eyes and snuggled up to him as he sank back down under the covers. Finally he reached for the nightstand and grabbed his phone, scrolling down to his brother's name in his contacts.

_Sorry bro. Something came up. Can't make it. Another night?_

* * *

><p>Lucas heard his cell phone vibrate on his desk and reached blindly for it. When he finally tore his eyes off of the computer screen in front of him, he read the incoming text message and immediately grew angry. He sighed loudly and dialed Nathan's number, listening to it ring. He didn't answer. So he called again. And again. Still nothing. He sighed again as he set his phone down. What could have "come up" that was so damn important? Lucas cursed and picked up his phone again, dialing an entirely different number.<p>

Brooke excused herself from the dinner table, telling Chase that she had to go to the bathroom, and took her phone call behind a plant in the back of the restaurant. "Hey," she whispered into the receiver.

"Hey, babe," Lucas answered. "Look, I know it took us a long time to find a night to hang out, but Nathan just texted me and said something came up. He can't cover for me. I'm sorry, Brooke."

Brooke sighed, disappointed. "Can't you get someone else to cover for you?"

"I wish I could, babe. I don't trust anyone else with this place," he replied. "It means a lot to me and especially to Nathan, and I can't just let anyone be in charge, especially at night."

"Fine," Brooke huffed. "But kick his ass for me, will you? I was really looking forward to seeing you."

Lucas smiled softly. "I know. I was looking forward to seeing you, too. We'll figure something else out, babe."

"Okay. Call me later?" Brooke suggested, peeking out from behind the plant.

"Of course," Lucas responded. "Bye, sexy."

Brooke smirked. "Bye, cutie." She ended the call and pushed her phone into her purse, strutting back to the dinner table where Chase was waiting patiently.

"Everything okay?" Chase questioned suspiciously.

Brooke smiled brightly, placing her hand over his in the middle of the table. "Everything is perfect."

* * *

><p>Haley's eyes fluttered open when she felt a pair of soft lips on her neck. She closed her eyes but didn't go back to sleep, enjoying the sensation of having Nathan's lips on her skin. When his tongue hit her neck, she let out a short moan.<p>

Nathan, finally realizing that she was awake, stopped his ministrations. He pulled his head away and watched her open her eyes, smiling at her. "Good morning," he whispered.

"Good morning," Haley reciprocated, returning his smile. Their eyes stayed locked for several seconds before Haley reached for the back of his head and pulled his lips towards hers. They connected in a passionate kiss, and Haley immediately wanted him. She slipped her tongue past his lips and wasted no time in moving her hands under his t-shirt.

Nathan pulled his lips away from hers, allowing her to pull his shirt over his head. He flashed a smirk as he leaned down to kiss her again. "You're so sexy," he muttered in between kisses. He ran his hands up and down the length of her body, pushing her tank top up to the edge of her bra. He was busy peppering kisses all over her stomach when he heard a knock on the door. He rested his forehead against her stomach and groaned. "Who the hell is visiting you at eight o'clock in the morning?"

Haley chuckled but was just as disappointed as Nathan. Whoever it was, she hoped that it would be a quick stop. "Get off of me so I can go get the door," she commanded teasingly.

Nathan smiled and raised his head to hers, placing a long kiss on her lips. "Let me get it. Maybe they'll go away." He winked as he moved off of her, jogging out to her apartment door. He looked out the peephole and furrowed his brow. The person looked slightly familiar, but he couldn't place her. He unlocked and opened the door, shirtless and with messy hair. "Can I help you?" he asked.

The woman smiled politely at the man. "Is my daughter here?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Not to spoil you guys or anything, but here's another update! I'm very grateful for the reviews that were submitted. Your responses to this story have actually given me a bit more fire to continue it. However, I can't help but notice that I keep getting new followers but less and less reviews. Please review and let me know your thoughts, you guys! I'm asking as a writer. We need constant feedback! ;) Anyways, I had a lot of fun with this chapter, and I hope everyone enjoys it!**

* * *

><p><em>The woman smiled politely at the man. "Is my daughter here?" <em>

Nathan stared at her, wide-eyed. "Umm…" That was apparently all he could manage to say, and he could feel his cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. At least now he knew where he recognized the woman from. He'd seen a few pictures of her scattered around Haley's apartment. And now she was here, asking him a simple question that he couldn't even seem to answer.

"Mom?" Haley questioned loudly as she emerged from the hallway. She had put on some more modest clothing, a pair of pajama pants and an old sweatshirt.

Lydia smiled when she heard her daughter's voice, pushing her away around the lean boy in front of her. "Hi, baby." She pulled her daughter in for a hard hug.

Nathan was still so very confused. He shut the door behind Haley's mother and turned around, watching Haley. She looked incredibly uncomfortable around her mother, nothing like in the family pictures scattered around the apartment.

Haley did not return her mother's hug, and when the older woman finally pulled away Haley tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and then crossed her arms over her chest. "What, um…what are you doing here, Mom?" she asked nervously. She was silently praying that she could find a way to get her mom out of there, because if not she would inevitably have to talk to her about both her drinking and Nathan, who her mom did not even know about yet.

"Well, you wouldn't return any of my calls, so I figured I would just pop by," Lydia answered with a bright smile.

Nathan made his way over to the two women, still shirtless and still confused. He knew that Haley had been dodging her calls, and he knew why, but the woman seemed nice enough. She was actually quite chipper.

Lydia turned when she saw the shirtless young man approaching. "And who is this fine young hunk?" she questioned with a teasing smile.

Nathan smirked and extended his hand to her. "I'm Nathan."

Shaking his hand, Lydia responded, "Hi, Nathan. I am Lydia James, Haley's mother. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too, ma'am," Nathan replied, dropping her hand. He turned to face Haley.

Haley's eyes were wide as she looked at Nathan, and after a few moments of silence she cleared her throat. "Nathan, can I um…speak to you in the other room for just one second?"

"Well, are you sure?" Nathan answered. He didn't want to leave her mother stranded in the living room when she had just arrived. "I can just go if you-"

Haley cleared her throat again and smacked Nathan's chest as hard as she could. "The other room," she repeated. "Just for a minute."

Nathan followed her out of the living room, down the hall, and to her bedroom, all the while rubbing his chest because for a small girl Haley sure could pack a good punch. "What the hell, Hales?" he hissed once she had closed the door. "Why did you hit me?"

"Because you are not going anywhere," Haley responded in a threatening tone. "I don't care what your plans are for the day. You are staying right here because if you're here, she may not try to talk to me."

Nathan sighed softly. "Don't you think maybe you should talk to her? She's your mom, Hales. She just cares about you."

Haley smiled wryly. "No, I don't think that I should talk to her. She can care all she wants, but that doesn't mean I need her putting in her two cents all the time. I'm a big girl."

"Well how are you going to get her to go? She seems pretty determined to me," Nathan said.

Shrugging, Haley placed both of her hands on her hips. "I'll just tell her that I'll stop by within the next few days."

"And will you?" Nathan asked.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I'll think about it. If not, she'll just come by again anyways. I just want a little time to prepare myself before I talk to her."

Nathan nodded. "Whatever you say then. I will be your excuse for the day." He smirked.

Haley smiled and shook her head, amused. Then she placed her hands on his shoulders and pecked his lips a few times. "You know that hanging out with you is anything but an excuse," she said quietly.

Nathan smiled at her words. "Good to know," he answered.

Once again, Nathan followed her out to the living room and stood next to her.

"Mom, do you think it's at all possible for us to reschedule this little impromptu visit?" Haley suggested sweetly, smiling at her mother now.

Lydia knew what her daughter was up to. She sighed and shook her head. "Sweetie, you're going to have to talk to me at some point. I know you don't want to, but I think that's what's best for you, and-"

"I know," Haley interrupted her. "I know it is, Mom. I want to talk to you, too. Nathan and I just kind of had plans today."

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry," Lydia apologized.

Haley smiled at her mother. "It's really okay. How about I come by the house and have dinner with you and Daddy tomorrow night?" Haley offered.

Lydia's face immediately brightened. "Oh, we would both love that!" she exclaimed. She grabbed Haley and hugged her again, closing her eyes.

"Alright, Mom," Haley muttered, hugging her back but only slightly. "Mom, I can't breathe."

Laughing, Lydia pulled away and smiled at her daughter. "I'm sorry, baby. You know how I love hugging my babies. But I guess I'll get out of your hair. I'll see you tomorrow night then?" she asked, making her way towards the door.

"Tomorrow night," Haley confirmed with a nod.

"Okay," Lydia said with another smile. "I love you, baby girl."

Haley smiled back. "I love you, too, Mom."

Lydia left, shutting the door behind her.

"Hales, you better have dinner with your parents tomorrow," Nathan said once she was gone.

Haley sighed and nodded. "I will. I do miss them. They just pry a lot, you know?"

"I understand," Nathan replied. "But you know it's because they love you." He wrapped his arms around her waist.

Snaking her arms around his neck, Haley nodded again. "I do know that. Thank you for doing this." She leaned up on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips.

Nathan smiled. "Anything for you, Haley James." He winked at her. "Now where were we?" He leaned down and kissed her hard on the lips.

Haley returned the gesture just as passionately, pushing her tongue between his lips.

Lifting her up, Nathan groaned when she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked forward, pushing her back against the apartment wall. Pulling his lips away from hers, he looked into her eyes. "You're so beautiful, Haley. You know that?"

Haley couldn't help but smile at his words. She traced his lips with one hand and then kissed him again.

Nathan returned the kiss but only briefly before pulling away, staring at her again. "I'm serious."

"I know you are," she responded softly. "And that means so much to me." She held his gaze for several seconds before placing a few sloppy kisses on his jaw. "Now do things to me," she said playfully.

Nathan smirked and let out a loud laugh before covering her lips with his.

* * *

><p>"Haley James, if you do not open up this door right this very minute I am going to bust it down!"<p>

Haley furrowed her brow and stood up from the couch. She hadn't even heard a knock before the shouting, but she definitely recognized the voice. Throwing the door open, Haley watched Brooke push past her into the apartment. "Come on in," she muttered sardonically, closing the door behind her.

"Do not get all sarcastic with me, Haley James," Brooke replied. "What the hell is up with you?"

"What do you mean?" Haley asked, walking back over to the couch. She sat down and picked up her pen. "I was just grading some papers."

Brooke sighed. "You know what I mean. I've been trying to call you and hang out with you for like weeks now, and you always say you're busy."

"And so I am," Haley muttered, holding her pen up as she stared at the paper in front of her. "I'm grading papers."

Brooke walked over to her and grabbed the pen from her hand. "We need to talk."

Haley looked up at her friend and nodded. "Yeah, I think we do. What would you like to talk about, Brooke?"

"Oh, I don't know, Haley. How about-"

"How about the fact that you're cheating on Chase?" Haley interrupted her loudly, standing up from the couch and putting her face right in Brooke's. She really didn't want to accuse Brooke of anything, and she had been searching for a tactful way to bring up the subject, but what the hell? If Brooke was going to throw herself into her apartment and start shouting at her, she didn't care. She deserved to be accused.

Brooke took a step back and stared at her friend in amazement. Honestly, she had been waiting for this moment since the night that Haley's boy toy had called her Brooke Daniels. She knew he was just doing her a favor, and as much as she appreciated it she also knew that he would probably tell Haley about it eventually. But right now, Brooke was going to do her best to cover her ass. Maybe Haley didn't know anything, and she was just trying to mess with her head. Brooke crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes unconvincingly. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Haley scoffed. "You know damn well what I'm talking about, Brooke, and I am so incredibly disappointed in you. Not only that you would stoop so low as to cheat on Chase, but that you would do that after what happened with me and Damien."

"Haley, this-"

"And don't you dare say that I'm making this about me when it isn't," Haley interrupted her. "I know that this is going to hurt Chase more than anyone, but if you thought that you could do something like this and not simultaneously throw a knife in my back, you were wrong. I can't believe you," she said as her eyes filled with tears.

Brooke lost all of her resolve when she saw Haley start to cry. She couldn't keep this from her. That would only make it more humiliating in the end. "You're right," she said quietly. "And you are so right to be pissed off at me, but Hales…I never meant for it to happen. I love Chase."

"Bullshit," Haley muttered.

"I do," Brooke insisted. "He's a great guy, and I love spending time with him. But it's just different with Lucas. I don't love Chase in the way that I thought I did."

Haley shook her head and laughed sardonically, simultaneously wiping a few fallen tears from her cheeks. "That's mighty convenient, Brooke. Did you ever think that maybe instead of lying and seeing some other guy behind his back, you should have just gone to Chase? If you would have just broken up with him instead of dragging it out, he'd probably be over you by now. What you're doing to him is cruel, Brooke."

Brooke's eyes filled with tears as she listened to her friend because she knew that her words were all true. "I know," she replied, her voice cracking slightly. "I know, okay? And I know that what I'm doing is selfish, especially when you and I are such good friends. And I'm not making excuses, Hales, but this is not the same situation. Chase and I aren't married. We didn't make that intense of a commitment to one another."

"But you still made a commitment," Haley argued. "No matter how strong it originally was, the meaning is the same, Brooke." She shook her head. "Chase adores you. He would do anything for you. You know that."

"Yes, I do know that," Brooke mumbled with a sigh. "That's what makes this so hard, Haley. If Chase were an ass, I wouldn't even feel bad. But he's amazing. He's such a good man, and he deserves better than me."

Haley shook her head. "Don't say that. He deserves better than what you're doing to him, but you're amazing, Brooke." She wiped her eyes again. "I am mad at you, and I think you need to figure out what you're going to tell Chase, but you're still a good person. You're still my friend."

"Thank you, Hales," Brooke responded sincerely. "I definitely don't want to lose you over this, too."

"You won't," Haley assured her. "Besides, I know I haven't officially met Lucas, but if he's anything like his brother he's probably pretty irresistible. I'm not judging you, Brookie. I need you to know that. I'm just defending Chase, and I'm just sensitive about this stuff, you know?"

Brooke nodded. "I know, and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for everything you went through, and I'm sorry for what I'm putting you through now."

"Don't apologize to me," Haley replied. "Apologize to Chase. And anyways, I've made my fair share of mistakes this past year. Hence, you storming into my apartment acting like a bitch."

Brooke laughed, wiping the remainder of her tears from under her eyes. "Well now I just feel stupid. I just miss you, Tutor Girl."

Haley nodded, biting her lip. "I miss you, too. I'm sorry I've been so defensive when you and Peyton try to talk to me lately." She paused, pushing some hair behind her ear. "Which actually reminds me…have you talked to my mom recently? She, um…she's been calling me nonstop and she actually stopped by this morning. She said some of my friends told her I'm drinking again."

"Don't hate me," Brooke muttered. "It wasn't me that called her though. It was actually, um…Jake and Chase. Peyton and I were kind of talking about how we could help you, and I guess they overheard our conversation and called your mom. They didn't ask us first though. I swear if they had, we would have said no."

Haley shook her head and smiled wryly. "No, it's…not that big of a deal, I guess."

"I mean…Hales, you realize why we're all so worried, right?" Brooke asked carefully.

"Um, yeah…I mean, yeah I do," Haley stuttered, nodding her head. "I know I've been kind of bad lately, but it's getting easier I think. This week has been okay. Actually, um…to be honest, I think what's keeping me sane is having Nathan around all of the time. I didn't really want to admit it at first, and I don't even know if he knows, but he makes me feel special. I mean, he watches out for me and when I need it he just sits with me. I never…I never would have expected that from him."

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "Really? We haven't even really talked about him. I kind of assumed he was the reason for all of the drinking."

Haley looked up and shook her head. "Not at all. I mean, when we first started sleeping together it kind of got bad. I just…God, I sound like a high school girl, but I felt like such a whore. Chris and then Nathan and then Clay…it's all just sex, you know? I haven't been in a relationship with any of them, and I just gave them that part of me. That's not okay."

Brooke watched her friend and looked at her with sympathy. "Well honey, if you don't want to do that anymore why are you still sleeping with Nathan?"

Haley's entire body began to tremble as she prepared to say the words that she had been wanting to say for so long now. "Because it means something now," she said emotionally.

"What do you mean?" Brooke inquired. She took Haley's shoulders and sat her down on the couch, taking a seat next to her.

Haley licked her lips and shrugged. "He makes me feel alive, Brooke. More alive than I've felt in a long time. And at first it was just physical, but I feel like he and I have a connection that goes so far beyond that now. And he just makes me feel good and wanted and safe."

"How?" Brooke prodded.

"With everything that he does," Haley answered. "I mean, he got so jealous of Clay and he gets jealous of Chris, too. And when he would come over and find that I'd been drinking, he would get me to bed and just stay with me until I woke up, just to make sure that I was okay. And the other night I came home, and he was here, and I told him we couldn't do anything because I had work to do and he didn't even try to do anything. We just sat there for hours, me grading papers and him reading, and God it was just so peaceful. Everything that he says and everything that he does makes me want to know him better, and I want him to know me better, but I'm scared. I'm scared that if we even thought about getting into anything real, things would just fall apart like they always do."

Brooke wrapped her arms around her friend's petite body. "Haley, things are not going to fall apart again. Honey, you've had it rough, but your time to shine is coming. And if Nathan really makes you feel all of these things so strongly, you need to let him know you. Let him know why you are the way that you are, Haley. I promise you, you are the most beautiful and kind and loving person that this world has ever seen. There's no way he won't see that. He probably already does. Give yourself a chance."

Haley nodded weakly, stifling a yawn. "I know I should. It's just hard. I didn't think I would ever have to worry about doing this again, you know?" Haley's mind flashed to the picture that she knew was right underneath the couch she and Brooke were sitting on. Part of her wanted to look at that picture, but the other part just wanted to burn it. She wanted it to finally be out of her life forever, but she wasn't sure that was ever going to happen. Not anytime soon anyways.

"I know, sweetie," Brooke responded, resting her head on top of Haley's. "I know."

* * *

><p>Nathan checked the time on his phone as he stepped out of the shower. He had just gotten back from a late night workout and wanted to freshen up before heading over to Haley's. She wasn't expecting him, but he hadn't seen her since this morning, and as stupid as it sounded he missed her already. He thought about calling her but figured she was probably asleep. He'd just use the key under the mat in front of her apartment. After drying off, Nathan got dressed and threw some clothes and his toothbrush in a bag before departing.<p>

Once he was in front of her door, he reached under the mat and unlocked the door, placing the key back in its original spot afterwards. He stepped inside, shutting and locking the door behind him. When he looked up, he smirked. Haley was half sitting half laying on the couch with her head on Brooke's shoulder, and Brooke had both of her arms wrapped around the smaller girl with her head resting on top of Haley's. He could tell that Haley wasn't asleep, though, and Brooke certainly wasn't. Her eyes had widened when she'd noticed him. "Hey," he said softly, setting his bag down by the coffee table.

"Hey," Brooke replied, grabbing Haley's attention.

Haley opened her eyes and picked her head up. Once her eyes had adjusted she furrowed her brow. "Hey, Nathan."

Nathan bit his lip and shoved his hands into his pockets, figuring that coming over hadn't been such a good idea. "You know what? I didn't know that you two were having a sleepover. I'll just call you tomorrow, okay, Hales?"

"Oh, no. Don't be silly," Brooke said, standing up from the couch. "We're twenty-five years old. We're not having a sleepover. You should stay." She turned to Haley and sent her a pointed look. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Haley nodded and smiled, standing up to hug her friend. "Yeah. I love you, Brookie."

"I love you, too," Brooke replied, hugging her back. "Bye," she said to Nathan as she passed him, patting his shoulder.

"Bye," Nathan called out to her. He turned back to Haley and took a step forward so they were closer, resting his hands on her hips. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something. I figured you'd be asleep by now, and I just wanted to see you."

Haley smiled, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Well I am not asleep, although I am certainly very tired, and you did not interrupt anything. I'm glad you're here." She leaned up and kissed him gently.

Nathan responded to the kiss just as gently and then pulled away smiling. "So what were you two talking about?"

Haley blushed immediately and dropped her arms, heading towards the bedroom. "Nothing."

"Oh, nothing, huh?" Nathan smirked and followed her into the bedroom. "Would that nothing happen to be me, Hales?"

Haley rolled her eyes but laughed at his quirkiness. "It might be."

Nathan continued to smirk at her. He watched her take a seat on the edge of the bed, and he sat next to her. "What were you talking about, Haley?" he questioned quietly.

"Oh, nothing special," Haley brushed off.

Nathan leaned forward and kissed her. "Were you talking about how good of a kisser I am?

Haley laughed. "No, but you sure are full of yourself, aren't you?"

"Were you talking about how good I am at something else?" Nathan hinted, tapping the bed behind him.

Rolling her eyes, Haley laughed loudly and pushed him back on the bed. She climbed on top of him, straddling him, and started kissing his neck.

"Is that a yes?" Nathan asked, placing his hands on her butt and closing his eyes.

Haley stopped and pulled away, raising an eyebrow at him. "Maybe. But you may need to prove it, baby."

Nathan opened his eyes and flipped her over so he was hovering above her. He smirked at her. "I'm about to rock your world, Haley James."

* * *

><p>Haley took a deep breath as she pulled her car into her parents' driveway. Just looking at the house she'd grown up in brought back a flood of memories, both good and bad. She sat in the car for several minutes before undoing her seatbelt and opening the door.<p>

She knew why she was so nervous to spend time with her parents. Sure, she didn't want them to worry about her, and she hated the way that they pried into her life when she was a twenty-five-year-old woman living on her own. But it was more than that. Ever since she was a little girl, Haley had been close with her mother. And they had been close up until the very moment Haley lost her grip on life. No matter what, Haley could not lie to her mother about important issues. When the two were in the same room and Lydia asked Haley about something important, staring at her with concerned eyes, Haley could not lie. She had never been able to do it. And she knew that her mother was going to interrogate her tonight, especially after seeing a shirtless Nathan in her apartment the previous morning. Haley knew that a world of judgment awaited her, and that's why she was so nervous.

Shutting the car door, Haley walked as slowly as she possibly could up to the front door and then took another deep breath before ringing the doorbell. Even though she had grown up here, she always knocked or rang the doorbell when she came over. It just felt weird not to anymore, especially since she wasn't very close with her parents anymore. She hadn't been close with them in a long, long time. As she waited for someone to answer the door, Haley checked her phone and saw that she had a message from Nathan.

_You'll be fine tonight, baby. Your parents love you, and you love them. But if you need rescuing, I'm here for you._

Haley smiled at the message and slipped her phone back into her purse. She waited a few more seconds before her dad finally opened the door.

Jimmy James swung open the door to the house he and his wife had lived in for the past thirty years. As soon as he saw his baby girl standing on the porch, he wanted to cry. But he didn't. Jimmy had never been an overly emotional man, but when it came to his children he was a total softy. He and Haley had always been especially close since she was the baby of the family. After the accident, though, Haley had just never been the same. She had completely cut everyone off, including Jimmy and Lydia. And Jimmy had missed her every day since then.

"Hey, Daddy," Haley greeted with a small smile. "It's good to see you." She took a step forward and hugged her father, knowing that behind his strong and manly façade he was losing it. Her mother had told her countless times on the phone that her father missed her and wanted to speak with her. She knew she was hurting them both, but she just didn't know what else to do.

Jimmy hugged her back. "It's good to see you, too, baby girl," he said. "I'm so glad that you decided to come have dinner with us."

Haley pulled away from the embrace and walked fully into the house, watching her father close the front door. She nodded at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, I'm glad to be here, too," she replied. It was basically true. She was nervous as hell about the questions she knew she was going to receive, and she was scared because she wasn't even sure she knew how to act around them anymore, but she was glad to see them. She had missed them just as much as they had missed her, even if she didn't show it.

Jimmy smiled as he led her into the kitchen. "Your mom's making your favorite."

As they entered the kitchen, Haley smiled. If there was one thing she had always loved about her childhood, it had been this…walking into the kitchen and immediately being able to tell what her mom was cooking for dinner. Lydia had always prepared home cooked meals for her children, and Haley had often helped her in the kitchen. Of course her mother was making macaroni and cheese. Haley used the same recipe, but somehow it always tasted better when her mom made it. She would never understand why. Looking up, she saw her mom taking the finished dish out of the oven. "It smells great, Mom," she complimented.

Lydia's head snapped up when she heard her daughter's voice. She smiled brightly, setting the dish on the stove and throwing her oven mitts onto the counter. She turned and walked to Haley, enveloping her in a large hug. "It's so good to see you, baby."

Haley chuckled slightly, hugging her mother back. "You just saw me yesterday, Mom."

"I know, I know. But it was only for like five minutes," Lydia responded. "Tonight will be better. The macaroni and cheese is ready, but we've got to let it cool."

Smiling, Haley set her purse down on one of the dining room chairs. "I know, Mom. You forget I've made this a thousand times."

Lydia laughed, wiping her hands on her apron. "Yeah, you sure have, huh?" She untied the back of her apron and lifted it over her head, hanging it up on the proper hook. "Why don't you both sit down and I'll get some drinks for us?"

Jimmy and Haley sat down at the table and began a steady stream of small talk while Lydia got their drinks and food ready. Once she was done, she served them and then herself, sitting next to her daughter at the table.

Dinner went pretty smoothly. They talked about all the things that didn't really matter. Haley told them about how many classes she had at THC and how she thought they were going. Her parents asked about Brooke and Peyton, and Haley told them they were doing well. Her mother also asked about Chris, and after a blush and some hesitation, Haley relayed that he too was doing well. Haley silently berated herself after that one, sure that Chris would be a hot topic of conversation after dinner, along with Nathan. The moments when they were eating silently weren't at all awkward, to Haley's surprise. She asked her parents how her siblings' kids were doing. She hadn't seen them in a while and was sure that they had grown up quite a bit since the last time she had. They assured her that they were growing up far too quickly for their liking. Once they were all done eating, Jimmy insisted that he would do the dishes and said that the two women should go talk about girl stuff.

And now Haley was nervous again. Her nerves had almost completely dissipated during dinner, but they were certainly returning now. She followed her mother out to the back porch and sat on the swing that overlooked the backyard. Her mother sat next to her. Haley pulled her legs up underneath her and propped her head up with her hand, resting her elbow on the armrest.

Lydia laughed as she watched her daughter fidget next to her. "You know what's coming, don't you?" she asked, amused.

Haley smiled slightly. "I have a guess."

Sighing, Lydia looked out at the yard. "Honey, you know that we're worried about you. That's nothing new. But what you don't know is that if you would just open up to us or to me or to _someone, _maybe you'll find that that person understands. Maybe you'll find that you're not alone in all of this, sweetie, because you're not. At least, you don't have to be."

Haley listened to her mother, keeping her gaze fixed on the yard in front of her. She really didn't want to cry tonight, not in front of her mother. Maybe if she focused hard enough, she could hold the tears back.

"You get it from your father, you know," Lydia continued. "This whole wanting to suffer alone crap. I remember when we first got married. His dad, your grandpa, passed away just a few months after the wedding. Never did you see two men who loved each other so much. Your father looked up to him more than anyone in the world. And when he died, your dad just didn't know what to do. He stopped eating, he stopped sleeping. I would wake up in the middle of the night and find him sitting out on the porch, just staring into space. Sometimes he would just sit there and cry. And no matter what I did or said, he didn't want to talk to me about it. He didn't want to talk to anyone about it." Lydia paused, turning to face her daughter. "But eventually, the pain subsided. His heart started to grow stronger, and he started to love life again. I know that you can experience that, too, Haley Bob. I know you can. You're strong enough."

Sitting up straight, Haley focused harder on the grass in front of her. Her mother really wasn't going to make this easy for her, was she?

Lydia sighed. "You're going to have to talk sometime, you know. I'm old. I'm starting to get out of breath," she joked.

Haley laughed. They sat in silence for several minutes before she finally turned to face her mother. "It's not that I want to shut you out," she started quietly. "It's not like I had a choice. It doesn't feel like I did, anyways."

"But you do, sweetheart," Lydia reminded her gently.

Knowing that her mother would know what she was talking about, Haley began, "It just makes me feel better for a while. And I know that sounds so cliché and so…whatever…but it does. I never thought I would be the kind of person who would rely on alcohol to get through the day, and in a lot of ways I'm not that bad. And I don't want to get that bad, but it's just…a reflex now. I don't want it to be, but it is." Haley picked at some imaginary lint on her jeans. "I'm getting better. I really am. It hasn't happened as much as you probably think."

"And this Nathan boy…is he a reflex, too?" Lydia inquired with a small smirk.

Haley rolled her eyes and let out a small chortle. Her mother really wasted no time. Pausing to think, eventually Haley shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what we are, but…I know that he's good. I know that when I wake up next to him, I don't want to drink. I just want to be better."

Lydia smiled. "And how did you two meet?"

Biting her lip hard, Haley turned to face the yard again. "We, um…" She let out a short, sardonic laugh. "He's in my class."

"Oh, my goodness," Lydia exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Haley, are you kidding me?"

"Yet another reason why you should be proud of me," Haley muttered sarcastically. She shook her head. "It's really not as bad as it sounds. I mean, from a professional standpoint it is. But it's not like he's a regular student. He's twenty-six, and he owns his own business. He's just finishing up his degree so that it can be official."

Lydia sighed loudly. "Still, Haley…that's-"

"Fucked up," Haley finished for her.

Lydia's eyes widened again. "Haley," she scolded.

Haley shrugged. "What? It is. Everything I've done this past year has been."

"Like what?" Lydia inquired.

Haley was really starting to get upset with herself now. She smiled wryly and stood up from the swing, pacing the porch in front of her mother. "Let's see…well, at the beginning of this year I had only slept with one man, and that was my husband. But I decided that wasn't enough, apparently, and asked Chris to sleep with me. So he did. And then we did…for several months. Hmm…then I slept with Nathan, my student for Christ's sake, and then…God, it's just the cherry on top of the perfect year…I slept with Clay, who I knew for approximately four hours beforehand." She stopped pacing and crossed her arms over her chest. She shook her head again and scoffed. "It's ridiculous. The more I do to try and make myself feel better, the worse it gets. And the only time I don't think about what happened, the only time it doesn't hurt like hell is when…" She paused and looked up, as if coming to some insane realization. "When I'm with Nathan."

Lydia stood up, staring at her daughter in shock. "Haley Bob, I don't-"

"I have to go," Haley cut her off, turning and stepping back inside. She grabbed her purse off of the dining room chair and walked quickly toward the front door, muttering a goodbye to her father. She couldn't be there anymore. She couldn't talk about her life with her mom anymore. It made her feel like crap, and it made her realize that she should feel like crap. She didn't deserve to have so many people looking out for her. Brooke. Chris. Peyton. Jake. Chase. Her mom. Her dad. Nathan. They were all there for her all the time, and all she did was ignore them. She was an awful person.

And even though she believed these things with all of her heart, what she truly wanted was to feel better. She wanted Nathan. She wanted him to tell her that he was there for her and that everything would be okay. And then she wanted those things to be true.

Backing out of the driveway and starting towards her apartment, Haley grabbed her phone from inside her purse and composed a text to Nathan.

_I'm on my way back to my place. Will you come over? I really need to see you._

Tossing her phone into the passenger seat, Haley gripped the steering wheel hard and finally allowed the backed up tears to fall freely down her face.

When she got to her apartment, she saw Nathan's car and practically sprinted up to her door, throwing it open and shutting it behind her. She tossed her purse and keys on the coffee table and sniffed loudly. "Nathan!" she called as she walked through the apartment. She looked in the kitchen and then made her way to the bedroom, stopping in the doorway when she saw what had been done in the room. There were flower petals all over the floor and the bed, and candles were lit all over the large room. The lights had been dimmed, and Nathan was sitting on the edge of the bed in black dress pants and a white V-neck t-shirt.

Nathan stood up when he saw Haley, slowly walking over to her. He took in her appearance, noticing that her eyes were all red and puffy and her mascara was slightly smudged. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly, his eyes full of concern.

Haley nodded, looking up at him. She closed the small gap between them and placed her hands on his chest. "I'm fine," she said softly. "I just…I just needed to see you." She looked behind him. "What is all of this?"

Nathan's heart began beating faster, and he placed his hands over hers on his chest. "Look, I know…I know that this thing between us is just…supposed to be sex. I know that's what you said and what I agreed to, but Haley…it's not."

Haley kept her eyes on his, moving her hands to rest behind his neck.

"It's not," Nathan repeated, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met, Haley, inside and out. I want to know you. I want to be the person that you tell everything to and that you can trust with all of your heart." He moved one hand to her face and touched her cheek softly. "This isn't just sex, Hales, not for me. And if it is for you, I guess I'll deal with that, but I really don't think-"

Haley cut him off, leaning up on her toes and pressing her lips against his in the softest of kisses. It seemed to last forever, and when she finally pulled away Haley looked into his eyes and whispered, "It's not."

Nathan couldn't help but smile at her. "It's not?" he questioned.

"No," Haley replied. "I…Nathan, you make me feel things that I've never felt before. When I'm with you, I just…God, there is no place I'd rather be." She leaned up and kissed him again, this time a bit harder. When she pulled away, she shook her head and smiled at him. "Nathan, I want you. All of you."

Nathan swooped his head down and kissed her again, not being able to help himself. What he was hearing was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard before.

Haley kissed him back, only gently, and then pulled her head away from his. "Make love to me?" she whispered. She felt more vulnerable than she had ever felt in her entire life, but she also felt completely safe. She knew that Nathan was there for her, and she knew that she could trust him.

Closing his eyes briefly, Nathan grunted and picked her up off of the ground. He carried her to the bed and laid her down, covering her body with his. As he stared down at her, he lifted his shirt over his head. He leaned back over her and began peppering kisses all over her jaw and neck. "God, Haley…you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment," he whispered. He kissed her neck again and then sucked softly on the spot that he knew drove her crazy.

Haley arched her back into him slightly, moaning at the feeling of his mouth on her skin. She grinded her hips into his and ran her hands up and down his muscular back.

Nathan pulled himself away from her after several seconds and pulled her shirt over her head. He stared at her for only a few seconds before unhooking her bra and tossing that behind him as well. He bent his head down and began to lavish her breasts with attention.

Moaning louder this time, Haley threw her head back against the pillow. "Oh, Nathan," she muttered. "That feels so good." Her hands moved to his stomach and began stroking his abs, eventually moving closer to his pants. She undid his belt buckle and undid the button and zipper, pushing the material away from his hips as far as she could.

Nathan pushed himself off of her for a moment so he could kick the pants off. As he lay back on top of her, he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked into her eyes. He kissed her slowly, just enjoying the feeling of her lips on his, and pushed his hips into hers.

Haley moaned loudly at the contact and was forced to break their kiss. She thrust her hips into his in anticipation and raked her nails down his back. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him once more, still rubbing herself against his erection. "You're so hard," she moaned into his ear as she moved against him.

Nathan groaned at her words and closed his eyes momentarily. Once he had finally regained some composure, he laid a soft kiss between her breasts and began a pattern all the way down her stomach. He kissed until he reached the edge of her jeans, and then he undid the button and zipper, removing them from her body one leg at a time. Sitting back on his knees, he hooked his thumbs in her panties and pulled them down her legs as well. He placed a few wet kisses on her calves and thighs before finally returning to her lips.

Feeling severely underdressed, Haley pushed her hands into his boxers and slid them down to his knees. She watched him kick them off of the bed, sending him a gentle smile when he once again hovered over her.

Nathan placed himself right outside of her entrance and closed his eyes. "Haley, I…I need you to know how much you mean to me," he whispered. He opened his eyes and placed both of her arms out beside her head, covering her small hands with his much larger ones. He intertwined their fingers and then slowly pushed himself inside of her. "You mean everything."

Haley cried out when he entered her, squeezing his hands that were attached to hers.

Leaning down, Nathan kissed her feverishly, pushing his tongue into her mouth.

Haley kissed him back as passionately as she could, and when he pulled away, she looked at him intensely. "You're all that I have, Nathan," she whispered. "And all that I want."

"Hales," Nathan muttered. He rubbed his nose against hers cutely and then kissed her again, slowly withdrawing himself from her and then pushing back in.

Haley began to meet his thrusts, and as their lips and hands stayed locked Haley knew that she had never felt so connected to one person in her life. Not even her husband. This feeling in her heart was so new, and she wanted it to last forever. She moved her head to the side as Nathan sucked on her neck. "This feel so good," she moaned as he entered her again, this time a bit harder.

Nathan grunted as he picked up their pace a bit. "I know, baby," he responded a few seconds later. He placed a lingering kiss on her collarbone and squeezed her hands. "You're so fucking beautiful, Hales."

Haley moaned loudly as he hit a new spot inside of her, and her back arched into him. "Oh, Nathan…oh God…"

Nathan kissed her a few seconds later, silencing her moans, but he began thrusting into her even harder now. He pulled his lips away from hers after only a few seconds because he loved hearing her. He wanted her to feel good. As he tried to keep himself under control, he closed his eyes tight. "Fuck, Haley…I'm not going to last much longer, baby."

"I know," Haley panted, thrusting her hips up towards his at every stroke. "I'm almost…I'm almost there." A minute later Haley's back arched, and her eyes closed tight as she came. "Nathan!" she cried, almost right next to his ear. She repeated his name several times, knowing that it would spur his own orgasm.

Nathan came just seconds after Haley, stilling his movements as he spilled himself into her. He squeezed her hands tightly as he came, groaning Haley's name into her shoulder. He rested his full weight on top of her and lay there panting for several minutes.

Haley breathed heavily from their encounter and reveled in the feeling of having Nathan's weight on top of her. She had never felt safer.

"Fuck," Nathan groaned, placing a few kisses on her sweaty shoulder. "You're so good."

Haley laughed, untangling her hands from his. She placed one on the back of his head and the other on his back. "Someone's tired," she teased.

Nathan laughed, lifting himself off of her so he could look at her. He watched her yawn and smirked.

"Oh, be quiet," Haley muttered with another laugh, smacking his cheek playfully.

Nathan smiled, kissing her briefly and then pulling away. He finally pulled out of her and rolled himself to the side so he was only half on top of her. He propped his head up with his elbow and traced patterns on her stomach with his free hand. "You are on birth control, right?" he asked suddenly.

Haley looked at him and played dumb. "Birth control?"

"Yeah," Nathan said. "Like, the pill? You're on it, right?"

She furrowed her brow. "Why would I be on it?"

Nathan sat up quickly and looked at her sharply. "Are you serious?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "It's a hell of a time to ask that question, Nathan."

"You're fucking with me, right?" he mumbled.

Haley smiled and rolled her eyes again. "Of course I'm on birth control, Nathan. Hence the whole we have sex all the time and I'm not pregnant." She paused. "Why are you asking me this now?"

"I don't know," he responded. "I was just making sure."

Haley raised an eyebrow at him and then shook her head. "You're so weird."

"And you like it," Nathan countered, smirking at her.

She smiled and shrugged. "You're okay." When he scowled at her, she winked at him.

Nathan laughed, placing his hand flat on her stomach now. "How was dinner with your parents?"

"It was alright," Haley responded with a small nod.

"Just alright?"

She nodded again. "Yeah, it was fine. We actually didn't talk for too long. It just…kind of made me realize where I want to be." She looked at him and smiled softly.

Nathan stared at her. "And where is that?"

"Right here," Haley replied without hesitation. "With you."


End file.
